- Life expectancy
- Global status
- Migration
Identification
Long wings, conspicuously angled in flight, and pale underparts give an unmistakable flight silhouette. A dark stripe runs through the eye. The body looks slimmer than in the large sea eagles.
Colours
Male
White head with a dark eye-stripe. The breast band is often faint or absent; the underwing coverts are usually less spotted than in the female. The sexes overlap.
Behaviour
It prefers to stay over open water. In courtship the male performs undulating display flights, sometimes with a fish in its talons. It mainly defends the immediate surroundings of the nest.
Breeding & rearing
The large stick nest needs a clear approach: treetops, pylons and nesting platforms are typical sites. Repeated additions let a nest grow over the years. Both parents help to feed the young.
