In Buryatia, the white-tailed eagle is a rare migratory, occasionally wintering species. It is one of the largest nesting birds in Buryatia with a wingspan of more than 2 meters. It can weigh from 4 to 7 kilograms. The bird’s beak is powerful and very large relative to the head. The main difference between white-tailed eagles and common eagles is the naked cap without a feather cover.
The coloring of young animals is much darker than that of adults. It is only when birds become sexually mature that they begin to look the same as adult eagles. This does not happen before the age of five, or even later.
The nest is often built on the tops of large trees near the coasts of large bodies of water away from populated areas. In the absence of disturbing factors, the bird can use the nest for up to 40 years in a row.
Couples settle at a distance of up to 10 kilometers from each other. In the second half of April - early May, the female usually lays no more than three large white eggs.
The territory of the white-tailed eagle can reach 70 square kilometers, and it is almost always located next to a reservoir. Not for nothing in translation from ancient Greek the word “orlan” means “sea eagle”. The white-tailed eagle feeds mainly on fish, which it catches near the surface of the water and in shallow waters. It often attacks entire colonies of small birds. That is why they leave their nests with eggs and chicks, which is what the eagle uses. In addition, this bird of prey feeds on waterfowl, sandpipers, gulls, and muskrats. In winter, it often switches to carrion. Due to its large size and powerful beak, the white-tailed eagle is almost devoid of natural enemies. In our country, most birds are observed in the expanses of Lake Baikal, the Azov Sea, and the Caspian Sea.
In Buryatia, flyout begins from mid-September to mid-October, but in some years the eagle remains to winter on Lake Baikal.
The Baikal region has long been a stronghold of traditional shamanism, and Olkhon Island has always been a sacred place for shamans. One of the most widespread cults in Siberia is considered to be the cult of the sacred eagle. According to mythology, shamanism appeared simultaneously with the creation of the world, and the first shaman was the son of the heavenly God who descended to Earth in the form of an eagle. All other shamans subsequently originated from this bird.
The coloring of young animals is much darker than that of adults. It is only when birds become sexually mature that they begin to look the same as adult eagles. This does not happen before the age of five, or even later.
The nest is often built on the tops of large trees near the coasts of large bodies of water away from populated areas. In the absence of disturbing factors, the bird can use the nest for up to 40 years in a row.
Couples settle at a distance of up to 10 kilometers from each other. In the second half of April - early May, the female usually lays no more than three large white eggs.
The territory of the white-tailed eagle can reach 70 square kilometers, and it is almost always located next to a reservoir. Not for nothing in translation from ancient Greek the word “orlan” means “sea eagle”. The white-tailed eagle feeds mainly on fish, which it catches near the surface of the water and in shallow waters. It often attacks entire colonies of small birds. That is why they leave their nests with eggs and chicks, which is what the eagle uses. In addition, this bird of prey feeds on waterfowl, sandpipers, gulls, and muskrats. In winter, it often switches to carrion. Due to its large size and powerful beak, the white-tailed eagle is almost devoid of natural enemies. In our country, most birds are observed in the expanses of Lake Baikal, the Azov Sea, and the Caspian Sea.
In Buryatia, flyout begins from mid-September to mid-October, but in some years the eagle remains to winter on Lake Baikal.
The Baikal region has long been a stronghold of traditional shamanism, and Olkhon Island has always been a sacred place for shamans. One of the most widespread cults in Siberia is considered to be the cult of the sacred eagle. According to mythology, shamanism appeared simultaneously with the creation of the world, and the first shaman was the son of the heavenly God who descended to Earth in the form of an eagle. All other shamans subsequently originated from this bird.
