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White-tailed eagle

The huge white-tailed eagle is our largest bird of prey. After being persecuted to extinction in the UK, it has been successfully reintroduced in Scotland and, more recently, to the Isle of Wight.

Scientific name

Haliaeetus albicilla

When to see

January to December

Species information

Statistics

Length: 80-90cm
Wingspan: 2.2m
Weight: 4.3-5.5kg
Average lifespan: 20-25 years

Conservation status

Classified in the UK as Amber under the Birds of Conservation Concern 5: the Red List for Birds (2021). Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.

Habitats

About

Our largest bird of prey, the white-tailed eagle is sometimes known as the 'sea eagle'. It preys on fish, mammals and small birds. As well as hunting for food, the white-tailed eagle also scavenges carrion. It was persecuted to extinction in the UK, but reintroduced from Norway during the 1970s. Today, more than 100 pairs now nest in Scotland. They build large nests in tall trees, but will also nest on rocky crags. Both parents tend to the one or two chicks that hatch each year.

How to identify

A massive and impressive bird of prey, the white-tailed eagle has broader wings than the golden eagle. It is sometimes described as 'a flying barn door'. Adults have a white, wedge-shaped tail and a pale head with a huge yellow bill.

Distribution

Found on the Isle of Mull, the west coast of Scotland and increasingly other parts of Scotland and the south coast of England.

Did you know?

A white-tailed eagle's territory may be up to 70 square kilometres! White-tailed eagles mate for life and breed in the same territory each year. This territory may even be used by successive generations for many more years to come.