Granddad’s Camera
White-tailed eagle, as it appears in the game

No.111 · Birds · Rare visitor

White-tailed eagle

Haliaeetus albicilla

Britain's largest bird of prey, with a wingspan of up to 2.5 m, broad 'barn-door' wings and a wedge of white in the tail. Young birds released on the Isle of Wight roam far across southern England.

When to look

All year, mostly at day.

Time of day

Best time
Any month, on a bright day when thermals build. Watch the sky over open heath and mire from a high viewpoint.
Where in the game
the New Forest (heath, mire and ancient woodland)
Size
66–94 cm long
Wingspan
1.78–2.45 m; up to 2.5 m
Weight
Females 4–6.9 kg, males 3.1–5.4 kg
Population
45 young birds released on the Isle of Wight by August 2025; six had been born in the wild in England by 2025
Status
Reintroduced (Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, since 2019)

Diet

Fish, waterbirds and carrion, and sometimes mammals. It fishes in shallow water and often steals food from other birds

Habitat

Coasts, large lakes, wetlands and estuaries, with large trees or sea cliffs for nesting. Wandering young birds cross heath, forest and farmland

Breeding

Pairs bond for life and build huge stick nests in tall trees. Adults are fully white-tailed at about 8 years old. In England, the first chick in over 240 years fledged in 2023

Field signs

  • A huge, dark, flat-winged bird with a very broad wing and short wedge tail
  • A pale head and yellow bill in older birds; juveniles are dark brown with white streaks
  • Small wing tags or a satellite tag visible on a soaring bird
  • Crows, gulls and buzzards mobbing something large

Did you know?

  • It has yellow legs and feet, and a wingspan of up to 2.5 m.
  • One released male flew more than 1,000 km in a single spring, and several have crossed the English Channel.
  • Every released bird carries a satellite tag so its route can be followed.

Moments worth waiting for

  • Soaring on a thermal March to September, day
    The eagle rises without a wingbeat on a warm thermal, buzzards tiny beside its flat, broad wings.

Photo tip

You will need a very long lens and patience. Find a hill with a wide view of the sky, use 500 mm or longer, and shoot in bursts when the bird turns to show the tail. Keep the sun behind you to bring out the pale head.

Be a good naturalist

Never approach a perched eagle or a nest. If a bird is on the ground or looks tired, keep away and report it to the project. Do not fly a drone anywhere near it.

The law

All wild birds are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Nest disturbance is an offence

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