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Haliaeetus leucogaster
The White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster), also known as the White-breasted Sea Eagle, is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Originally described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788, it is closely related to Sanford's Sea Eagle of the Solomon Islands, and the two are considered a superspecies. A distinctive bird, the adult White-bellied Sea Eagle has a white head, breast, under-wing coverts and tail. The upper parts are grey and the black under-wing flight feathers contrast with the white coverts. The tail is short and wedge-shaped as in all Haliaeetus species. Like many raptors, the female is slightly larger than the male, and can measure up to 90 cm (36 in) long with a wingspan of up to 2.2 m (7 ft), and weigh 4.5 kg (10 lb). Immature birds have brown plumage, which is gradually replaced by white until the age of five or six years. The call is a loud goose-like honking.
In my kayak, I managed to get quite close to this one. When I took off my camera, there were two of them but one flew away before I could "catch" it. During my 3-day kayak trip, I only saw eagles during the first day when the weather was good, I conclude that they stay at home when it's raining.
Spotted on Dec 18, 2012
Submitted on Feb 2, 2013
2 Comments
Very nice spotting!
lovely!!