White-tailed Eagle

The White-tailed Eagle is the largest bird of prey in Europe, with a wingspan of more than two metres. Its wide, flat wings look like planks when it flies. Adult eagles have brown feathers all over, with a pale head and a bright white, wedge-shaped tail. They have a large yellow beak and yellow legs without feathers, which set them apart from the Golden Eagle. Young eagles are darker with patchy feathers and slowly develop adult features over five years. The White-tailed Eagle was once extinct in Britain. However, efforts to bring them back have been successful, and now they breed again on Scotland’s west coast and the Isle of Wight. The birds live near coasts, big lakes, and rivers across northern Europe and Asia. They prefer places where there is plenty of fish, water birds, and dead animals to feed on. You can usually see White-tailed Eagles flying low over water or sitting on coastal cliffs and trees. Their large size and pale head make them easy to spot from far away.