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4.12. White-tailed eagle<br />

Haliaeetus albicilla<br />

Figure 1.<br />

Estimated number<br />

of White-tailed<br />

eagle breed<strong>in</strong>g pairs<br />

<strong>in</strong> Europe, <strong>in</strong> the<br />

large population <strong>in</strong><br />

northern Europe<br />

and the smaller<br />

south-eastern<br />

population, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />

the Danube and the<br />

Balkans s<strong>in</strong>ce 1970,<br />

based on BirdLife<br />

International [10, 18] ,<br />

the Species Actions<br />

Plans [2, 6] and<br />

other key sources.<br />

The population<br />

trend s<strong>in</strong>ce 1950<br />

is also shown (see<br />

‘Methods’).<br />

No. of breed<strong>in</strong>g pairs<br />

10,000<br />

8,000<br />

6,000<br />

4,000<br />

2,000<br />

0<br />

1950<br />

1955<br />

1960<br />

Summary<br />

The White-tailed eagle decl<strong>in</strong>ed dramatically<br />

across Europe between the 1800s and the 1970s,<br />

ow<strong>in</strong>g to direct persecution and the adverse effect<br />

of environmental pollutants on reproductive<br />

success. With the <strong>in</strong>troduction of protection<br />

legislation and the ban of harmful chemicals, the<br />

species has shown a spectacular recovery.<br />

Population size has <strong>in</strong>creased and Whitetailed<br />

eagles have recolonised areas from which<br />

they became ext<strong>in</strong>ct, <strong>in</strong> some cases with the<br />

help of re<strong>in</strong>troduction programmes, while range<br />

expansion <strong>in</strong> Europe is also apparent.<br />

1,000<br />

1965<br />

1970<br />

1975<br />

1980<br />

1985<br />

1990<br />

1995<br />

2000<br />

2005<br />

2010<br />

2013<br />

800<br />

600<br />

400<br />

200<br />

0<br />

Population <strong>in</strong>dex (%)<br />

Background<br />

General description of the species<br />

The White-tailed eagle or Sea eagle (Haliaeetus<br />

albicilla) is a large, long-lived, slow-reproduc<strong>in</strong>g<br />

raptor [1] . Territorial pairs are sedentary, normally<br />

occupy<strong>in</strong>g the same breed<strong>in</strong>g territory throughout<br />

their life [2] , although birds <strong>in</strong> some northern<br />

populations migrate south <strong>in</strong> w<strong>in</strong>ter [3] .<br />

Distribution <strong>in</strong> Europe<br />

The species is widely distributed across the<br />

Palearctic, from Greenland and Iceland <strong>in</strong> the<br />

west, to the Pacific coast and Japan <strong>in</strong> the east [4] .<br />

Historically, the White-tailed eagle was present<br />

throughout Europe, and its distribution extended<br />

across western and southern Europe, reach<strong>in</strong>g as<br />

far south as North Africa [5] .<br />

White-tailed eagles <strong>in</strong> Europe can be divided<br />

<strong>in</strong>to two sub-populations: northern Europe, which<br />

<strong>in</strong>cludes Norway and the Baltic Sea riparian states,<br />

and southern-eastern Europe, which <strong>in</strong>cludes the<br />

Danube countries and the Balkans [6] .<br />

Habitat preferences<br />

White-tailed eagles nest preferably on trees or<br />

cliffs, and more rarely on pylons or towers and <strong>in</strong><br />

some areas rather regularly on the ground. The<br />

species is usually closely associated with water<br />

and <strong>in</strong>habits a range of habitats near lakes, river<br />

valleys and coastal waters [2, 7] . White-tailed eagles<br />

222

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