Birds · Accipitriformes · Accipitridae

White-tailed Eagle

Haliaeetus albicilla

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It is the fourth heaviest eagle in the world and was successfully reintroduced to Scotland after dying out there in the early 20th century. Its courtship displays include aerobatics in which the pair lock talons in mid-air.

Weight

3.6 kg – 6.9 kg

Size

66 cm – 94 cm

Lifespan

22 years

Diet

Piscivore

Feeds mainly on fish.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Estimated population

Between 5,000 and 6,600 breeding pairs in Europe according to BirdLife International, with the largest concentrations in Norway (up to 2,300 pairs), European Russia (up to 2,000) and Poland (up to 700); it is recolonising countries from which it had died out, such as Austria and the Netherlands, and was successfully reintroduced to Scotland

OceanFreshwaterPiscivore Diurnal In pairs Bird Ocean Freshwater

55countries 9parks 3dive sites43same family

Fun facts

It is the fourth heaviest eagle in the world.
It was successfully reintroduced to Scotland after being persecuted to extinction there.
Its courtship involves locking talons in mid-air and spiralling down together.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Coasts, large lakes and rivers of northern Europe and Asia, always tied to extensive bodies of water
Birth weight: Exact weight at hatching not found as a precise figure
Size at birth: Covered in creamy white down on hatching
Sexual maturity: 5-6 years
Gestation / incubation: 34-42 days
Litter / clutch size: 1 to 3 eggs per clutch (most commonly 2)
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 42 years in captivity

Sources consulted: AnAge; Via Pontica; Hawk and Owl Trust; A-Z Animals; The Eagle Directory; Animal Kingdom; Animalia.bio; AviBirds; Binocular Base; the-birds.net; BirdLife International 2022, IUCN Red List: la tendencia poblacional en Europa es creciente tras la recuperación iniciada en los años ochenta, después del desplome causado por la caza y los pesticidas organoclorados en el Báltico || BirdLife International, estimaciones de población europea; European Raptors || BirdLife International; Vrezec et al. 2009, Denisia 27 (censos invernales de aves acuáticas)

Where to find it

See its range on the interactive map

Best time: All year round in northern and central Europe, where it is mostly resident; in winter it gathers on large waterbodies rich in waterbirds, and the northern and north-eastern populations move south