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White-bellied Sea Eagle

Accipitridae

Photo: Wenuri · CC BY-SA 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)

Icthyophaga leucogaster

Also known as: Haliaeetus leucogaster

Basic stats

Diet

Fish (about half of the diet), plus sea snakes, turtles, waterfowl, seabirds, small mammals and carrion

Habitat

Coasts and large waterways; occasionally inland

Range

Coasts and major rivers from India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia to Australia

Size

Males 66–80cm; females 80–90cm

Wingspan

Up to 2.2m

Weight

Males 1.8–3kg; females 2.5–4.5kg

The white-bellied sea eagle is a large diurnal raptor with a white head, breast, underwing coverts and tail that contrast sharply with grey upperparts and black flight feathers. Females are larger than males. Immature birds are mostly brown and take four to five years to acquire the adult white plumage (Wikipedia, general species account).

It lives along coasts and major waterways from India and Sri Lanka east through Southeast Asia to Australia, with occasional inland records. Fish make up roughly half of its diet, with catfish over 50 cm taken, and it also hunts sea snakes, turtles, waterfowl and flying foxes, takes carrion, and often harasses smaller raptors for their catches. Pairs are monogamous for life, perform aerial talon-grappling displays, and build large stick nests in tall trees near water, usually with two eggs; rearing both chicks is unusual (Wikipedia, general species account).

Quick answers

What does the White-bellied Sea Eagle eat?
Fish (about half of the diet), plus sea snakes, turtles, waterfowl, seabirds, small mammals and carrion
What habitat does the White-bellied Sea Eagle live in?
Coasts and large waterways; occasionally inland
Where is the White-bellied Sea Eagle found?
Coasts and major rivers from India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia to Australia
How big is the White-bellied Sea Eagle?
Males 66–80cm; females 80–90cm
What is the wingspan of the White-bellied Sea Eagle?
Up to 2.2m
How much does the White-bellied Sea Eagle weigh?
Males 1.8–3kg; females 2.5–4.5kg
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