Description
The White-tailed Eagle is a very large bird. It measures 66–94 cm (26–37 in) in length with a 1.78–2.45 m (5.8–8.0 ft) wingspan. The wingspan, with a midpoint of 2.18 m (7.2 ft), is on average the largest of any eagle. The Steller's Sea Eagle, larger in both weight and total length, is the closest rival for median wingspan amongst living eagles. The Bald Eagle is roughly the same size as the White-tailed Eagle, although has a shorter average wingspan and usually longer total length, due to a longer tail. Females, typically weighing 4–6.9 kg (8.8–15 lb), are slightly larger than males, which weigh 3.1–5.4 kg (6.8–12 lb)n The record weight for the species was 7.5 kg (17 lb) for a specimen from Scotland, while a more recent huge female from Greenland reportedly spanned 2.53 m (8.3 ft) across the wings. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 55.2–71.7 cm (21.7–28.2 in), the tail is 25–33 cm (9.8–13 in), the tarsus is 9.2–10.1 cm (3.6–4.0 in) and the exposed culmen is 6–6.5 cm (2.4–2.6 in). The measurements of eagles from Greenland are in general larger than in other populations of the species. The White-tailed Eagle is sometimes considered the fourth largest eagle in the world and is on average the fourth heaviest eagle in the world.
This species has broad "barn door" wings, a large head and a large thick beak. The adult is mainly grayish-brown except for the slightly paler head and neck, blackish flight feathers, and distinctive white tail. All bare parts are yellow in color, including both the bill and the legs. In juvenile birds, the tail and bill are darker, with the tail becoming white with a dark terminal band in sub-adults. The combination of mousy-brown coloration, broad, evenly-held wings, white tail, strong yellow bill and overall large size render the White-tailed Eagle essentially unmistakable in its native range.
Some individuals have been found to live over 25 years, 21 years being the average.
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