White-Tailed Sea Eagle and Sea Eagle Large Birds

The white-tailed sea eagle is ENORMOUS. It has wide, rectangular-shaped wings and a wing span of over 8 feet. It is the fourth largest eagle in the world and is sometimes called the flying barn door. Their skill at catching fish is legendary and the longest of their 8 talons grown up to 4.6 cms long - No wonder the sea eagle has been a bird of myth and legend in Scotland for thousands of years.

White-Tailed Sea Eagle

The white-tailed sea eagle once lived all over Britain, even nesting as far south as the Isle of Wight in 1780. The last known sea eagle in the UK lived in Shetland. She was an albino (all white) and the locals had protected her for over 30 years. Eventually she was shot in 1918 and the sea eagle became EXTINCT in Britain. Sea Eagles had been wiped out by persecution by farmers and gamekeepers. One Scottish estate at Glengarry recorded a total of 1372 birds of prey killed between 1837 and 1840 including 27 white-tailed eagles.

White-Tailed Sea Eagle

Although white-tailed sea eagles were extinct in Britain, they continued to breed successfully in Norway and efforts to reintroduce the birds to Scotland started in 1968. Young birds were transported to Scotland from nests in Norway. The population in Scotland is thought to be around 31 pairs so they are still very RARE. Unfortunately the eagles are not safe yet, as many of the nests (also called eyries) need to be constantly watched to prevent egg-thieves from taking their eggs. They are also sometimes found poisoned or shot. Organisations such as Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the RSPB as well as many individuals and
local groups are working to protect these amazing creatures.

Sea Eagle

Sea eagles are PREDATORS, this means that they are hunters and eat meat. Fish is one of their main foods, but they also enjoy sea birds, ducks and mammals like rabbits. They are also SCAVENGERS, picking over the carcasses of dead animals like deer or sheep as it takes a lot less energy than fishing and hunting. Imagine how the ancient people of Scotland felt about the sea eagles. Write your own legend or story about Scottish sea eagles. Below is an example of a food web including the sea eagle. For a more simple food web, leave
out the brown section. The arrows show the flow of energy in the system. Produce cards with the names of the plants and animals on. In groups, ask the students to arrange the arrows and names into a food web.

White Tailed Sea Eagle, Sea Eagle, Haliaeetus Albicilla