White-tailed Eagle

The White-tailed Eagle is Europe's largest eagle, closely tied to coastlines, large lakes, and estuaries where it hunts and scavenges fish and waterbirds. It has recovered in numbers and range in parts of Europe following historical declines.

Adult White-tailed Eagle tail feathers are pure white and notably short, forming a wedge shape rather than the long, rounded tail of many other large raptors. The head and upper neck feathers are pale straw to buff, contrasting with the darker brown body and wing plumage, giving a somewhat pale-headed appearance similar in concept to a Bald Eagle but with a brown rather than fully white head. The wings are exceptionally broad and rectangular along their whole length, often described as "barn door" wings in flight, with flight feathers strongly fingered at the tips. Juveniles show a dark tail with irregular mottled edges rather than the clean white wedge of adults, developing full adult tail coloration over about five years.

Full adult plumage, including the white wedge tail and pale head, takes around four to five years to develop, with juveniles passing through progressively paler intermediate stages. Sexes look alike, with females larger than males. Adults undergo a slow, sequential molt over more than a year.

White-tailed Eagles favor coastlines, estuaries, and large lakes across much of Europe and northern Asia, foraging over both marine and freshwater habitats. Populations vary from resident to partially migratory, with northern breeders moving to open water further south in winter.

White-tailed Eagles feed on fish, waterbirds, and carrion, often robbing other birds of their catches (kleptoparasitism) as well as hunting directly. Flight is typically low and direct with slow, powerful wingbeats. The call is a series of yelping or barking notes. Nests are enormous stick structures built in trees or on cliffs near water, used and enlarged over many years. Populations are recovering in several regions after reintroduction efforts.