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  • White-tailed eagle

White-tailed eagle

White-tailed eagle (adult)
White-tailed eagle (adult)
White-tailed eagle in flight (adult)
White-tailed eagle in flight (adult)
White-tailed eagle (juvenile)
White-tailed eagle (juvenile)
  • Scientific name: Haliaeetus albicilla
  • Bird family: Kites, hawks and eagles
  • UK conservation status: Amber
  • Protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

White tailed eagle sound

Your browser does not support this audio feature.

Jarek Matusiak, Xeno-canto

Key information

The white-tailed eagle is the largest UK bird of prey. It has brown body plumage with a conspicuously pale head and neck which can be almost white in older birds, and the tail feathers of adults are white. In flight it has massive long, broad wings with 'fingered' ends. Its head protrudes and it has a short, wedge-shaped tail.

This Schedule 1 species went extinct in the UK during the early 20th century, due to illegal killing, and the present population is descended from reintroduced birds.

What they eat:

White-tailed eagles are versatile and opportunistic hunters and carrion feeders, sometimes pirating food from other birds and even otters. They eat largely fish, but also take various birds, rabbits and hares.

Some pairs kill many fulmars, which are thought to be the source of DDT and PCBs (chemicals) recorded in eagle eggs. Carrion is an important part of their diet, especially during the winter months. Most lambs are taken as carrion.

When fishing, they fly low over water, stop to hover for a moment and drop to snatch fish from the surface. 

During the breeding season while they are rearing young, they require 500-600g of food per day. This drops to 200-300g per day during the winter months when the birds are less active.

Measurements:

Length:
70-90cm
Wingspan:
200-240cm
Weight:
3.5-5kg (male); 4-7kg (female)

Population:

UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.
UK breeding:
Around 150 pairs (2020 estimate))

Identifying features:

This bird species has different identifying features depending on sex/age/season.

White-tailed eagle (adult)

Adult white-tailed eagle
Feather colour: Black Brown Cream/buff Grey White
Leg colour: Yellow
Beak: Yellow Long Hooked Powerful Chunky
Natural habitats: Farmland Marine and intertidal Upland Wetland

White-tailed eagle (juvenile)

White tailed eagle juvenile
Feather colour: Black Brown Cream/buff White
Leg colour: Yellow
Beak: Yellow Long Hooked Powerful Chunky
Natural habitats: Farmland Marine and intertidal Upland Wetland

Similar birds:

Adult Golden Eagle in flight
Golden eagle

Where and when to see them

White-tailed eagles remain a scarce UK breeding bird, with the majority of the breeding population on the west coast of Scotland. However, further reintroduction programmes on the Scottish east coast, in Ireland and in England on the Isle of Wight mean that it’s now possible to encounter one almost anywhere in the British Isles.

* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  • Resident
  • Passage
  • Summer
  • Winter
White tailed eagle distribution map

You can see white-tailed eagles all year round.

  • jan
  • feb
  • mar
  • apr
  • may
  • jun
  • jul
  • aug
  • sep
  • oct
  • nov
  • dec

RSPB reserves

  • RSPB Loch Druidibeg

Video

A closer look at white-tailed eagles.

A closer look at white-tailed eagles.

White-tailed eagle video screenshot

In more depth

Behaviour

Behaviour

Threats and conservation

Threats and conservation

White tailed eagle population trends

White tailed eagle population trends

White-tailed eagles nesting

White-tailed eagles nesting

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