Photo: Ferdinando sacchetti / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-tailed Eagle
Haliaeetus albicilla
White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) — Birds of Prey of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 4.7 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Accipitriformes
- Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
- Genus Haliaeetus
- Species albicilla
Quick facts
- Weight
- 4.7 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Endangered
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-tailed Eagle hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of rocky terrain, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The White-tailed Eagle is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) belongs to the Accipitridae family of the order Accipitriformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL widespread.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 4.7 kg, with a wing length of about 60 cm and a tail of around 29.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 17.4 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-tailed Eagle?
The White-tailed Eagle is a very large bird that weighs around 4.7 kg.
Where does the White-tailed Eagle live?
The White-tailed Eagle is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL widespread, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the White-tailed Eagle belong to?
The White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the White-tailed Eagle eat?
The White-tailed Eagle hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the White-tailed Eagle migrate?
The White-tailed Eagle is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the White-tailed Eagle endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the White-tailed Eagle make?
1 real field recording of the White-tailed Eagle — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the White-tailed Eagle's range?
The White-tailed Eagle has a mapped global range of about 17.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Accipitridae
A field guide to the Accipitridae family — 254 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.