White-tailed Eagle: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Eagles · day 1 of 7

Five facts

1. Its wings can stretch from 1.78 to 2.45 m tip to tip. It may have the widest wingspan of any eagle alive today.
2. Partners stay together for life. In spring they lock talons high in the air and spin down in a series of cartwheels.
3. It fishes without a splash: after a short glide from its perch, it snatches a fish near the surface, usually getting only its feet wet.
4. It is also a bit of a pirate. It regularly steals meals from otters, gulls, cormorants and even ospreys.
5. These eagles can live long lives. A female ringed as a chick in Germany in 1985 was still raising young in 2022, at 37 years old.

The quiz

1. What may make the white-tailed eagle stand out among living eagles?

• The longest tail
• The brightest colours
• The widest wingspan (correct)
• The loudest call

With wings up to 2.45 m across, it may have the largest wingspan of any eagle.

2. What do white-tailed eagle couples do in their spring sky-dance?

• Lock talons and spin downwards (correct)
• Fly in a perfect circle around the nest
• Drop sticks to each other
• Dive into the sea together

Pairs perform cartwheels downwards with their talons touching or locked.

3. When it grabs a fish, what usually gets wet?

• Its whole body
• Only its feet (correct)
• Its head and neck
• Its wings

It takes fish in a shallow dive, usually getting only its feet wet.

4. Which animal does the white-tailed eagle regularly steal food from?

• Bears
• Whales
• Seals
• Otters (correct)

It regularly pirates food from otters and from birds like gulls and ospreys.

5. How old was the oldest known wild white-tailed eagle when she raised a chick in 2022?

• 12 years
• 20 years
• 37 years (correct)
• 60 years

She was 37 years old and still raising young with the same mate.

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