Ornithischia white-tailed sea eagle is a large raptor. The World Conservation Union has listed it as an endangered species, and it is a first-level nationally protected animal in China. Due to its powerful and ferocious attack power, it is at the top of the natural food chain.
The white-tailed sea eagle is a giant eagle that lives in Eurasia. The gene structure is closely related to the national bird of the United States the bald eagle. It is considered a symbol of Polish culture and history, is regarded as Poland's national bird, and is printed on the Polish national emblem.
The average body length of the white-tailed sea eagle is 84-91cm, the wingspan is 178-245cm, and the average weight is 4-7kg. Adult birds are mostly dark brown, with lanceolate feathers on the back neck and chest, light-colored head and neck feathers, yellow beaks and feet, and wedge-shaped tail feathers that look like pure white.
The white-tailed sea eagle is not much different from other birds and eagles in appearance, but it is larger than the golden eagle. As one of the most powerful raptors, it can easily suppress other birds, killing seagulls, herons, storks, and goshawks. It is known as the Tiger of the Sky, the overlord of flying in the sky. It is sometimes considered the fourth largest eagle in the world, ranking fourth in average weight.
Islands, lakes, coasts and other areas are the habitat of white-tailed sea eagles. White-tailed eagles are powerful predators, capable of attacking large prey, but like most predators, they prefer prey that is easy to catch.
The main food source of the white-tailed sea eagle is fish in seawater. When hunting, they lower their flight altitude. The sharp eyes can always see and catch the prey at the first time, and the sharp claws ensure that the white-tailed sea eagle can quickly catch the prey in the water. Birds and foxes, jackals and hares, and even seal pups are their prey, as well as carrion and animal carcasses.
Under normal circumstances, the white-tailed sea eagle is the largest eagle in its territory and the top predator in its territory. However, in some areas it also competes with other large raptors, especially golden eagles. When two aerial overlords meet, there is fierce competition between the two species.
Studies have also proven that golden eagles are at a disadvantage in competition with white-tailed sea eagles, which results in golden eagles never daring to build nests near the white-tailed sea eagle's territory.
Meanwhile, white-tailed sea eagles are considered to have an "advantage" in population ecology because they can live at higher population densities, often outnumbering golden eagles in the same area. Moreover, the white-tailed sea eagle has a longer intestine and a more efficient digestive system, allowing it to live better with less food.
After a long period of reproduction, the white-tailed sea eagle gradually differentiated into two subspecies. The Greenland subspecies is one of them, distributed in the southwestern part of Iceland and Greenland . Experts believe the Greenland subspecies of white-tailed sea eagle should be a separate species. But on the evolutionary time scale, more unique genetic characteristics have not accumulated, and because of their scarcity, there is still some controversy. There is also a subspecies named
, which is mainly distributed in Northeast China, Hebei, Hailar, and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in Inner Mongolia. This named subspecies is similar in appearance to the jade-belted sea eagle . The main difference is that the tail of the white-tailed sea eagle is entirely white.
As one of the rare eagles in the world, the white-tailed sea eagle has never stopped being studied by scientists. A long time ago, experts discovered that the death of a large number of white-tailed sea eagles was unusual.
Scientists believe that conservation measures must be implemented as soon as possible to increase the number of white-tailed sea eagles. White-tailed sea eagles are rare and found in various regions. However, due to some external reasons, there are large differences in quantity between different regions, requiring multi-regional and all-round protection.
Such as delineating protected areas, setting up game reserves, combating illegal and criminal activities, establishing international organizations, etc. , through practical and effective means to protect the safety of the natural ecology and provide a more suitable living habitat for white-tailed sea eagles.
