White-tailed Eagle

The white-tailed eagle is a very large sea eagle and a member of the same raptor family as hawks, kites and harriers. Adults are broadly greyish mid-brown, with the head, neck and upper breast usually paler and more buff-toned than the body. Their wedge-shaped white tail stands out strongly against the brown plumage, and the bill, cere, feet and eyes are yellow. Juveniles are darker, more unevenly marked birds with pale feather edging and usually a narrow whitish strip beneath the wing. (Wikipedia, general species account)

The species is widely distributed across temperate Eurasia, breeding from Greenland and Iceland eastward to Hokkaido in Japan. It remains closely tied to large areas of open water through much of the year. Suitable settings include sea coasts as well as inland freshwater lakes, broad rivers, wetlands and bogs. Its massive bill and strongly curved talons suit the capture and retention of slippery aquatic prey. Because nesting pairs can be thinly scattered even across a broad range, encountering one depends on finding extensive waters with secure surrounding habitat. (Wikipedia, general species account)