The White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) — also called the sea eagle, erne (sometimes ern, ørn), and white-tailed sea-eagle — is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which includes other raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers. It is considered a close cousin of the bald eagle and occupies the same ecological niche, but in Eurasia.
The white-tailed eagle is a very large bird. It measures 26–37 inches in length with a 5.8–8.0 ft wingspan. The wingspan, with a midpoint of 2.18 m (7.2 ft), is on average the largest of any eagle. The Steller's sea eagle, larger in both weight and total length, is the closest rival for median wingspan amongst living eagles. The bald eagle is roughly the same size as the white-tailed eagle, although has a shorter average wingspan and usually longer total length, due to a longer tail. Females are slightly larger than males. The record weight for the species was 17 lb for a specimen from Scotland, while a more recent huge female from Greenland reportedly spanned 8.3 ft across the wings.
This species has broad "barn door" wings, a large head and a large thick beak. The adult is mainly grayish-brown except for the slightly paler head and neck, blackish flight feathers, and distinctive white tail. All bare parts are yellow in color, including both the bill and the legs. The combination of mousy-brown coloration, broad, evenly held wings, white tail, strong yellow bill and overall large size render the white-tailed eagle essentially unmistakable in its native range.
The white-tailed eagle's diet is varied, opportunistic and seasonal. Prey specimens can often include fish, birds and mammals. Virtually any fish found near the surface is potential prey for the white-tailed eagle. Additionally, loons, grebes, ducks, coots, auks, gulls, geese and even swans have been preyed upon. Adults, nestlings and eggs of other birds are all regularly consumed. Breeding[edit]
The nest is a huge edifice of sticks in a tree or on a coastal cliff. Being faithful to their territories, once they breed, nests are often reused, sometimes for decades by successive generations of birds; one nest in Iceland has been in use for over 150 years. In Scandinavia, trees have been known to collapse under the weight of enormous, long-established nests.
The territory of the white-tailed eagle ranges between 12 and 27 sq mi, normally in sheltered coastal locations.
White-tailed Eagles were seen on both our Norway/Svalbard and Iceland trips.