Scotland Outdoors

FAST FACTS: SEA EAGLE

Latin Name: Haliaeetus albicilla
Gaelic Name: Iolair Suil na Greine or Iolair-mhara
Meaning: The eagle with the sunlit eye or sea eagle
Also known as Erne or White-tailed eagle

Statistics: Body Length: 70-90cm Wingspan: 2-2.4m Weight: 3.1-6.9kg

Scottish Distribution
Mull, Skye, the Small Isles and the far west Scottish mainland.

Habitat
Their preferred habitat is rocky coasts. Further inland, they may also inhabit areas such as remote lakes and marshes.

Diet
Sea eagles are scavengers sometimes living exclusively on carrion, but they also hunt seabirds, fish, and sometimes medium-sized mammals.

Young
Unlike golden eagles, sea eagles regularly raise two young.
Egg laying occurs in mid-March and the female begins incubation when the first egg arrives. The eggs are much more rounded than a hen's egg and about four times the size.The female does most of the incubation, especially overnight. When moving around the birds keep their talons tucked away to avoid damaging the eggs. Eggs hatch in late April.
When the chick is very young the female is reluctant to leave the nest so the male hunts and leaves food on the edge of the nest. At four weeks the eaglets sprout feathers and leave the nest between 10 and 12 weeks old.