White-bellied Sea Eagle: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Eagles · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. It honks like a goose. Pairs often honk together, and few Australian birds have a louder call that travels as far.
2. On sunny days it often flies straight into the sun while fishing, it seems so its shadow does not warn the fish below.
3. To catch a fish, it pushes its feet way out in front, nearly below its chin, then sweeps them back. It usually grabs with just one foot.
4. Young eagles can roam far. One raised in Cowell, South Australia, turned up 3,000 km away on Fraser Island in Queensland.
5. Malay folk tales say it screams to warn shellfish that the tide is turning, so one local name means slave of the shellfish.

The quiz

1. What does the white-bellied sea eagle's call sound like?

• A goose honking (correct)
• A cat meowing
• A dog barking
• A soft coo

Its loud call is a goose-like honk, often done by both partners together.

2. Why does it often fly into the sun when fishing on sunny days?

• To warm its wings
• To see better underwater
• To dry its feathers
• To avoid casting a shadow on the water (correct)

Its shadow could alert fish, so it seems to keep it off the water.

3. How many feet does it usually use to grab a fish?

• Both feet
• One foot (correct)
• None, it uses its beak
• Both feet and its beak

It generally seizes prey with just one foot.

4. How far away was one young eagle from Cowell later seen?

• 30 km
• 300 km
• 3,000 km (correct)
• 30,000 km

It was reported 3,000 km away on Fraser Island in Queensland.

5. In Malay folk tales, whom does the sea eagle warn about the tide?

• Fishermen
• Turtles
• Shellfish (correct)
• Seabirds

It screams to warn the shellfish that the tide is turning.

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