White tailed eagle | Facts & Information

Origin

Much more like eagles than the rest of the Eagles. Active flight with long (typical) series of slow wingbeats, interrupted by short glides with wings extended or slightly arcuite.In Europe estimates a number between 5000 and 6600 pairs of cod, which means that there are 15 to 20,000 specimens. A global estimate indicates that there are between 20,000 and 40,000 Eagles.

The main threats to the species are the loss and degradation of water areas(habitat destruction), pollution and the use of poisons.

Feeding The White-Tailed Eagle

It feeds on fish and waterfowl, often Carrion.

The white-tailed eagle is the true king of the Delta, a giant that hovers over the vast reeds in search of corpses, sick birds, big dead fish. A real sanitary in the Danube Delta.

Features White-Tailed Eagle

It has a wingspan of approx.190-240 cm, Weight up to 7 kg. Brown-gray feathers, large, imposing body, powerful claws.

The adult has a white tail, a massive yellow hooked beak, a light brown head, neck and chest. From a distance it appears completely dark in color with a lighter band (rust – brown) on the middle forewings and with a light-colored beak base (actually a spot of lorum).

Closer to the head / neck appear brownish black color, the same subalar. The rectrices have dark margins, but usually whitish in the median portion. Up close an open axillary spot is often visible.

Juv. the one-year-old has a rust-brown chest with black spots, and in the 2-3-year-old the lower part of the body is brown with irregular white spots and can present an obviously open back in the anterior part. They often hover with their wings slightly arched up or down.

Easily identified by its very large waist, large, rectangular and dark wings, rather dark and long neck, very large beak and short tail with rounded tip.

Breeding The White-Tailed Eagle

In the Danube Delta it is estimated somewhere 25 couples, in recent years it is observed a relative multiplication of these probably due to the actions of protection of this species.

It reaches maturity at CA. seven years on, the female lays one or two eggs , the nuptial parade being a true aerial royal, with the birds clutching claws in free fall from hundreds of metres high, only near the ground do they break away.

The pair has several nests that are used by alternating over the years, huge nests that are placed at heights.