Hokkaido, Japan

The white-tailed eagle in midair shows brilliantly against the bright blue background. With its wings half spread, that eagle is about to attack another eagle from above in midair.

copyright Anette Mossbacher, 17 July, 2023

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This photograph was captured with a Canon EOS-1D X and a lens. The following settings were used:

  • Aperture: ƒ/7.1
  • Exposure time: 1/4000s
  • ISO: 800
  • Focal Length: 260mm

The original photograph has the following dimensions: 5184 by 3456 pixels (WxH).

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The white-tailed eagle in midair shows brilliantly against the bright blue background. The skies were cloudless on this sunny warm day. Other names this bird is known by are Sea Eagle, Erne, and White-tailed Sea Eagle. As you can see in the photograph, their coloring is greyish-brown, and they possess white highlights and a whitetail. The wings are half spread.

White-tailed Eagle

The diet of these eagles depends on their location and the environment they are living in. They are opportunistic hunters, stealing food from other birds and otters. Indeed, they are also searching for food in garbage and feeding on the carrion of kills made by other wildlife. However, they are excellent fishers. They snatch up fish from the surface of the water with their impressive claws. Another tactic these eagles use is to attack colonies of smaller birds, forcing them to abandon their young and eggs. Therefore, allowing the white-tailed eagle to swoop in and eat them.

Astonishingly, they can reach speeds of up to 70 km/h. On average, it also has the largest wingspan out of any other eagle. They also do not have any natural predators. Which means they are an apex predator.

This eagle, Haliaeetus albicilla, is of the least concern on the IUCN red list.

You might enjoy our other eagles’ in-flight photographs. Explore our Japan Wildlife photographs for more. Our wildlife photographs are for sale as stock images licenses and fine art photography prints as wall art online.

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1 comment for White-Tailed Eagle Midair

  1. Thomas

    One of the best eagle images I have seen. Superb 👍

    • Anette Mossbacher

      Thanks so much, Thomas. In the middle of the air, ready to attack. Thanks so much.

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