130925-studie-wildlife-comeback-in-europe
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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 />
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