Bald eagle. The mighty and majestic Steller's sea eagle. Other rare species of the Russian Far East

The Steller's sea eagle is the largest feathered predator in the northern hemisphere and one of the smartest birds on the planet. He remembers all his chicks and plans the hunt with the scrupulousness of a good economist. For salmon swimming peacefully along the coast of Kamchatka, an eagle diving from a height is Death itself with a sharp yellow beak. A beak that not only salmon are afraid of. The reduction of biodiversity on Earth is a textbook topic, if not a hackneyed one. In the 18th century, on the Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean, the last dodo, a bird of the order Pigeonidae, disappeared; from the beginning of the 20th century, the moa, a herbivorous bird similar to a plump ostrich, ceased to be found in New Zealand; in the 21st century, several species of birds are deleted from taxonomy reference books every year. However, we will not talk about the need to protect Steller's sea eagles, of which there are about seven thousand individuals left all over the world. These birds are worthy of conversation regardless of their numbers - eagles would be admired even if there were no less of them than crows. It is more interesting to tell why these yellow-billed fighter planes are admired by scientists, samurai and entire nations.

The impressive weight of the eagle limits the time of active flapping flight: no more than 25–28 minutes per day.

The genus Eagles of the hawk family includes eight species. The three most famous and largest are: the bald eagle (the symbol of the United States of America), the Steller's eagle and the white-tailed eagle. The largest is the Steller's sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus). In the northern hemisphere there are also more massive birds of prey, but they are all scavengers, while the eagle obtains its food for the most part by active hunting. The Steller's sea eagle is a Russian endemic: it is found only on the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, Kamchatka and Sakhalin, and flies to the Japanese islands for the winter. The eagle lives and nests on a narrow coastal strip, one and a half to two kilometers wide - closer to the sea, and therefore closer to food. The fact is that this predator obtains food in a rather unique way. The impressive weight (from seven to nine kilograms) limits the time of active flapping flight: no more than 25–28 minutes per day, but the eagle can glide for as long as desired. “It’s clear why, with this approach to business, you need to settle near the sea: the “self-service restaurant” should be no more than twenty minutes away,” says Vladimir Masterov, a researcher at the Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University. The menu has been tested for generations: salmon, newborn defenseless seals that lie on snow-white ice floes, like a ready-made dinner on plates, or other delicacies like rodents. If we consider Kamchatka (Sakhalin or the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk) as a bird country, then it can be divided into regions cut parallel to the coastline. Each region is ruled by its own bird: near the coast, as was said, the Steller's sea eagle lives, further away lives the white-tailed eagle, which is lighter and, accordingly, capable of spending more time in active flight, and even further from the coast the agile osprey rules. The osprey is a serious competitor to eagles. She is an excellent fisherman and, thanks to her excellent maneuverability, can fall like a stone vertically down at any point in the flight - with such an unexpected attack, the fish has no chance. As for the eagle, it is too heavy for such a dive, therefore, having aimed at its prey, it flies in a parabola, gliding and turning over in the air, like a falling leaf. The eagle's type of flight is airplane (there is also a helicopter flight, for example, that of a hummingbird), and its method of accelerated descent is called the “dry leaf method.” Illegitimate children. The Steller's sea eagle is the so-called K-strategist. Humans, like all mammals, are also K-strategists: they live long and reproduce slowly. In nature, an eagle lives no more than 18–23 years. However, these figures are quite approximate, because in birds it is possible to establish the age only by observing an individual from the moment of hatching from the egg or by marking the chicks. To find out how old a mammal was, it is enough to take any bone and count the number of rings - every year the periosteum lays down a new outer layer. Birds have hollow bones - when a new outer layer is formed, one inner layer is destroyed. This is necessary to lighten the skeleton, but it is impossible to determine the age of a dead bird from its skeleton. The record in captivity belongs to the Steller's sea eagle from the Sapporo nature reserve on the island of Hokkaido - he lived 54 years. At six or seven years old, eagles reach sexual maturity and begin to look for their other half, and if two singles meet, then, as a rule, they do not part for the rest of their lives. Most eagles are monogamous and conservative. First of all, having chosen a favorable place, the young couple builds a nest; The nest has been climbing together for more than one year. After the lovers have acquired their own home, they think about children. Every year two or three babies appear in the nest. Unfortunately, only 85 percent of chicks survive to adulthood. Mostly, connecting rod bears destroy nests, and they do this for an unknown reason - for large bears it is energetically unprofitable to hunt small, low-calorie eaglets. Insolent crows also eat chicks, and sometimes sables too. Often eaglets die of hunger: the same crows not only eat babies, but also take prey from adult birds. Even such an impressive predator as an eagle, carrying a weighty salmon in its beak for a long-awaited family dinner, retreats before a flock of crows, unceremoniously grabbing it by the feathers. Sometimes betrayals occur among eagles. DNA analysis of chicks from different nests revealed family ties between them, and children from two fathers sometimes ended up in the same nest. It turns out that both husbands and wives go “to the left”. It is rare, but it happens that three eagles live together - a Swedish family. In any case, regardless of whether they are their own or someone else’s, eagles will recognize the raised chicks throughout their lives. A beacon for the Nivkhs, a trophy for the samurai. First of all, the eagle is distinguished from other birds by its color - bright, elegant, noticeable from afar to both humans and birds. The Nivkh tribes living on Sakhalin and small islands off the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk - sea spits, trusted yellow-billed Steller's eagles no less than lighthouses: the bright beak is visible even in the fog, it indicates to the traveler the proximity of land. The eagles themselves need bright plumage to save energy. Each bird has its own territory; fellow tribesmen, having noticed a yellow-white-black spot, understand: the place is occupied, and try to look for other hunting grounds. In the old days, Japanese samurai They hunted Steller's sea eagles to decorate their war arrows with the tail feathers of the noble bird. Now hunting is officially prohibited, but the pursuit of beauty cannot be stopped by any bans, and the shadow business of catching birds for rare feathers is still thriving in Japan today. At the very beginning of this century, a sad incident took place on the island of Hokkaido: the number of eagles has sharply decreased. And this happened for the following reason. The island authorities did their best to encourage the hunting of roe deer and deer, destroyers of village gardens. They shot deer with lead bullets: hunters left the carcasses of killed animals in the forest, in the traditions of Japanese hunting. Of course, the eagle is not a scavenger, but who would refuse fresh meat from deer or roe deer, so accessible and so tempting. The eagle begins to tear the deer apart in the area of ​​the wound - where there are most bullet fragments and buckshot. The result of a hearty lunch is heavy metal poisoning and quick death. Subsequently, lead bullets were replaced with steel ones, but the number of birds in Hokkaido never returned to its previous level. “Many of my colleagues,” Vladimir sighs sadly, “believe that the eagle is doomed, like the ancient pterodactyls.” The flying lizards disappeared without our help. It would be wonderful if we didn’t rush the beautiful eagles into oblivion.

Steller's sea eagle(Steller's sea eagle - Steller's eagle) is one of the largest and most beautiful birds in the world, the largest representative of the order Falconiformes. Its wingspan averages about 2.5 meters, the record being 2 meters 83 centimeters. The mass of these feathered giants reaches 9 kg. It is one of the ten largest predators in the world along with the black vulture, Philippine eagle (monkey-eater), Australian wedge-tailed eagle and condor.

The naturalist of the First Kamchatka Expedition, Georg Steller, was the first to tell Europe about the “variegated magpie-colored eagle.” Since then, in many countries, the Steller's sea eagle has been known as Steller's sea eagle. But in fact, eagles are not eagles. By their nature, they are fishermen and scavengers rather than active predators, which is immediately noticeable by the structure of their paws. While real eagles are “dressed” in luxurious pants made of thick feathers almost to their claws, eagles have bare legs, because they constantly have to dip them in water. In addition, almost all eagles are larger than eagles. Their feeding method is apparently greater. promotes growth than the active life of a real predator - for example, a golden eagle.

The Steller's sea eagle nests only in our country - in the Far East. This rare bird is listed in the Red Books of Russia and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Today, the number of Steller's sea eagles has stabilized at about 7,500 birds, most of them live in Kamchatka. In addition, Steller's sea eagles are kept in 20 zoos and nurseries around the world; successful breeding is known in the zoos of Moscow, Almaty, and Sapporo.

The huge bright yellow beak, snow-white shoulders, legs and tail contrast sharply with the overall dark brown plumage of the body. By the way, only adults have white shoulders - they appear by the age of 5, and young birds have a dark, uniform color. The closest relatives of the Steller's sea eagle are the smaller white-tailed and bald eagles (the latter is a symbol of the United States and is depicted on the coat of arms of this country).

The entire life of the Steller's sea eagle is closely connected with water, so about 90% of its nests are located no further than 0.5 km from the shore. The nests of these feathered predators are simply huge: their diameter is on average 1.6 m, and their height reaches up to a meter. Eagles build them high in trees, and on rocks near the sea and return to them year after year.

While the female incubates the clutch, she does not leave the nest. There are usually 1-2 eggs in a clutch. After the chicks are born, the behavior of the parents changes. They now spend little time in the nest, which is not surprising: after the chicks hatch, the entire life of Steller's sea eagles is subordinated to the very difficult task of feeding the impressively sized “chicks.” From 6-7 o'clock in the morning until 21-22 o'clock in the evening, parents work to provide food for the younger generation.

Mom and Dad take turns hunting and guarding the nest. When hunting, birds circle over a pond, and when they find a fish, they quickly descend and try to grab the prey. Often, an eagle, keen on hunting, plunges into the water in pursuit of fish, but then easily takes off from the surface of the reservoir. If the prey is caught, the eagle immediately flies to the nest.

Steller's sea eagles can also become robbers, attacking weaker fishermen, such as white-tailed eagles, and robbing them of their prey.

The fish menu of feathered predators includes salmon, carp, crucian carp, catfish, kaluga, killer whale, whitefish, chum salmon, chebak and, of course, pike. But they can also diversify their diet with bird meat - ducks, black-headed gulls, terns and even crows. Sometimes eagles catch a hare or a muskrat. They do not disdain carrion or fishing waste.

The autumn migration of Steller's sea eagles in the Lower Amur region begins in September. But not all birds fly to wintering grounds, which are located in Southern Primorye, Korea and Japan. Some eagles winter near their nesting sites. In order to survive the harsh Far Eastern winter, eagles must eat well. This is only possible in places where the river flow carries “dead” chum salmon and pink salmon to ice holes that don’t freeze all winter. Several dozen eagles can spend the winter at some large spawning grounds. If bad weather happens, frost covers the wormwood, or the river stops bringing fish, the eagles will die from lack of food. Unfortunately, some of these beautiful birds still die at the hands of poachers. Giant birds have no other enemies in nature.

It is interesting that residents of Vladivostok can observe this majestic feathered predator right within the city limits in winter.

Russian Geographical Society; Text: Irina Yatskevich; Photos: Sergey Gorshkov

Order Falconiformes

Accipitridae family - Accipitridae

1 - nesting area

Status. Category 2. Rare, narrowly distributed species, endemic to the Far East. In Kamchatka - a nesting, wintering, partially migratory species with a tendency to slowly decline in numbers, and the Kamchatka population is one of the key ones in the species' range.

Spreading. The nesting area is located within the boundaries of the distribution area of ​​the spawning grounds of Pacific salmon and includes the entire Kamchatka Peninsula (from Pavel Bay in the Koryak Highlands and the lower reaches of the Penzhina), Onekotan Island in the Kuril Islands, the continental Okhotsk coast south to the lower reaches of the Amur, Sakhalin and the Shantar Islands. va (1). Winters in Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands, partly in the Khabarovsk Territory, Sakhalin, Primorye, as well as in Japan, China and Korea (1). On the Kamchatka Peninsula it is found all year round and everywhere, with the exception of the highest mountainous areas. In the continental part of the region, it inhabits only the coastal zone (2). In winter, it stays within its range throughout Kamchatka, but a significant part of the birds migrate from the northern regions to the southern part of the peninsula (birds from the Magadan coast can fly to Kamchatka for the winter) or beyond Kamchatka to the Kuril Islands and Hokkaido (3–5) ; In the spring, birds wintering on the Japanese Islands reach Kamchatka in different ways: along the Kuril Islands and through the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

Appearance. The largest bird of prey in the fauna of Kamchatka: male body length 88 cm, female 102 cm, wingspan 200–245 cm, record - 287 cm. The main signs of adult plumage appear at 4–5 years, but the final plumage is put on only at 8–10 years. The general color is black-brown with large white spots on the wings. In addition, it is characterized by a white tail, long and sharply wedge-shaped in shape, a white forehead and peculiar white “pants” (shin feathers). Ocher and whitish streaks on the head and neck give birds (especially old ones) a “gray-haired” appearance. The eyes are brown, the paws are yellow. The beak is unusually massive, convex, bright yellow or orange, clearly visible from a distance. Juveniles in transitional plumage are mottled brown, but their beak, equally massive and yellow in color, allows one to reliably distinguish birds of this species even at a young age.

Habitats and lifestyle. Inhabits tall forests and rocky sea coasts (2). Prefers forests in the lower reaches of rivers, along the banks of estuaries and large lakes and along the sea coast. It nests on rocky sea cliffs, on islands and kekurs (willingly settles in bird colonies), sometimes on rocks in river valleys. Along the mountainous eastern coast of Kamchatka, the population of the species is concentrated mainly in a coastal strip 8–12 km wide, and along the lowland western coast - 60–80 km wide, the maximum distance from the sea here is 110 km (2). The coastal strip accounts for at least 90% of the birds of the Kamchatka population. In the river basin Kamchatka in the interior regions of the peninsula (at a distance of up to 200 km from the sea), where the white-tailed eagle mainly lives, there are very few Steller's sea eagle (6). It builds massive, heavy nests from thick branches on trees (birch, larch, poplar, choicenia, alder) at a height of 6–11 m or on the upper surface of rocks, often overgrown with grass, at a height of 5 to 120 m (usually no higher than 50 m). ). The same nest is used for at least 8 and even 15 years in a row, but on average for 5–6 years, and sometimes it renews long-abandoned buildings. In stable conditions, it is distinguished by high territorial conservatism: in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve during 1977–1982. 65.2% of the nests remained virtually in their places, since the eagles either occupied them annually or built new ones next to the old ones (70–900, on average 460 m) (7). Often one pair has 2 nests, which it occupies from time to time. Every year, the nests that are repaired grow in size and reach 3 m in diameter, 2 m in height and hundreds of kilograms in weight. There are 1–3 eggs in a clutch, usually 2, with an average of 1.94 eggs; their incubation lasts 34–36 days (1, 2, 7). In captivity, lays up to 5 eggs (8). Dead clutches are sometimes renewed if the egg disappears at the beginning of laying or incubation. Life expectancy in the wild is unknown, but in captivity it is at least 44 years. Mating pairs are formed at the age of more than 4 years; at this time, eagles can build a ritual nest in the fall, in which, however, they do not nest. Reproduction begins at the age of no earlier than 7 years (8). Oviposition occurs in April and May in snowy conditions. The chicks stay in the nest for 2–2.5 months and fly out at the end of July and August, rarely in September. Until mid-October, broods stay 2–3 km from the nesting site (3). Due to the death of nests, clutches and chicks, breeding success is not even 30–70%. 1–2 young leave the nest, on average 0.8–0.9 individuals. Young birds account for 18.3–35.2, averaging 25.5% of the population (10). During non-breeding time, it lives mainly on the sea coast and in reservoirs where there is fish. The presence of reservoirs with accessible fish, primarily salmon, is a decisive factor in the placement of birds of this species (6). Such reservoirs define a kind of framework of the internal habitat. Seasonal migrations, individually and in scattered groups, take place in the spring from late March to mid-May, and in the fall at the end of October and November. It feeds variedly (birds, mammals, marine invertebrates, carrion, sea debris), but the main part of the diet is fish, primarily salmon (2). When salmon begin their spawning run, most Steller's sea eagles eat them, not only live fish, but also dead, spawned ones, and often prefer them (2). The feeding spectrum of different pairs can vary markedly depending on the location of the nesting site (on the seashore or far from it), as well as depending on the skill (hunting experience) of specific birds. For eagles nesting near bird colonies, the share of salmon in the diet of the chicks may be negligible (11). And yet, in general, Steller's sea eagles are among the most important consumers of salmon in Kamchatka. Among birds, they occupy a key place in salmon spawning ecosystems. In winter, in bird concentrations (for example, on Lake Kurilskoye), it is Steller's sea eagles that dominate in trophic relationships with sockeye salmon, being practically the only bird species that catches live fish and other birds then feed on the remains of their feeding (12, 13).

Number and limiting factors. The world population numbers about 7.5 thousand individuals, of which 5.6 thousand are conditionally adult birds (14). The Kamchatka population consists of 1200–1500 pairs and at least 1500 immature birds (1). On the sea coast, in suitable places, one pair lives every 2.5–8 km, and in the valleys of large rivers, in some places 2–3 nests are located 0.8–1.5 km from one another. A cluster of nests of large birds of prey (including 6–8 nests of Steller's sea eagle) is located in the lower reaches of the river. Kamchatka on the section "Klyuchi - Khapitsa". In winter, 3.6–4.2 thousand individuals remain in Kamchatka (15). Taking into account the results of winter surveys of Steller's sea eagles on the Japanese Islands (16), it is easy to see that up to 70–80% of the world population of the species winters together in Kamchatka and Hokkaido (1). The number and distribution of birds during non-breeding times and especially in winter vary from year to year and throughout the season. Steller's sea eagles quickly accumulate in areas rich in food and disperse just as quickly when food supplies become depleted or conditions of their availability change (6). The largest winter accumulation is observed almost annually in the lake basin. Kuril, since in the mid-1980s. Stocks of “Kuril” sockeye salmon increased and the timing of its spawning became extended. Usually 200–300 Steller's sea eagles gather here for the winter; during peak seasons (1989–1991) there were up to 750 individuals (13, 17). Temporary aggregations of 50–300 birds often appear in autumn and winter in different water bodies of the peninsula, as soon as available fish appear there (13, 18). The Steller's sea eagle is a biologically highly vulnerable species. Bulky, heavy nests, the weight of which increases in rain and heavy snowfalls, are destroyed or fall as a result of unsuccessful fastening. Often the supporting branches of trees cannot stand; in, for example, the proportion of nests with cracked supporting branches reaches 46% (7). Clutches die from predators (sable and carrion crow), hypothermia, if disturbed adult birds leave the nest for a long time. Chicks sometimes fall out of the nest, die from disease (there is a known case of conjunctivitis caused by volcanic ash), and also due to cainism, when older chicks kill younger ones. The breeding success of a particular pair also depends on the quality of the nesting site and the hunting experience of the birds (1). In normal years, the realization of the reproductive potential of the population is at least 20–30%. In unfavorable seasons, especially if they begin with a harsh wintering, the reproductive potential of the population turns out to be almost unrealized, amounting to only 6–9% of the possible (9). If such seasons are repeated or anthropogenic factors increase, the condition of the population quickly deteriorates. In Kamchatka, eagles have stopped nesting near populated areas. Reduction of their nesting sites on the coast of Avachinsky Bay. associated with a decline in stocks of marine fish species due to excessive coastal fishing by small vessels and growing concern from tourists (19). Due to the decline in salmon stocks in the river. In Kamchatka, a unique group of nests of eagles and other large birds of prey in the Klyuchi-Khapitsa region is under threat. A significant factor negatively affecting the dynamics of the Kamchatka population was the conflict between Steller's sea eagles (and) and hunters who shoot and capture eagles in order to avoid these birds from eating the skins of commercial fur-bearing animals in traps (20). For this reason, dozens of individuals die every year (21). In the north of Kamchatka, eagles are shot by reindeer herders, who believe that these birds kill (injure) reindeer calves. On rivers close to highways and populated areas, the disturbance factor progresses, as a result of which parents often leave the nests, and clutches and downy chicks die from hypothermia and predation by black crows. There is concern about the consumption of deer killed by hunters as food by eagles on wintering grounds in Japan, which leads to lead poisoning of the birds (22).

Security measures taken and required. Listed in the Red Books of IUCN-2004, Asia, the Russian Federation and the North of the Russian Far East, Appendix 2 of CITES, Appendix 1 of the Bonn Convention, Annexes of bilateral agreements concluded by Russia with the USA, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the DPRK on the protection of migratory birds. On (, etc.) there are approximately 15–17% of the nesting birds of the Kamchatka population and the largest wintering area on the lake. Kuril. Russia and Japan are cooperating on study and monitoring issues. Population monitoring should be resumed as was done in the 1980s. (7). A solution to the conflict situation in relations with hunters is possible through the implementation of a program to compensate hunters for the cost of hunted furs; experience with such measures has yielded positive results (20). It is necessary to provide for the development of special rules for visiting nesting sites and gatherings of eagles for tourists; as it turned out, they have become a popular tourist attraction, but to please clients, companies sometimes do not observe the simplest norms of behavior around birds, which leads to the death of nests, chicks and the dispersal of flocks.

Information sources: 1. Lobkov, 2001b. 2. Lobkov, Neufeldt, 1986. 3. Мeyburg, Lobkov, 1994. 4. McGrady et al., 2000. 5. Ueta et al., 2000. 6. Lobkov, 1978b. 7. Lobkov, 19906. 8. Spitsyn et al., unpublished. data. 9. Lobkov, 1991. 10. Lobkov, 1989a. 11. Lobkov, unpublished. data. 12. Ladygin, 2000. 13. Lobkov, 2002c. 14. Lobkov, 1988c. 15. Lobkov et al., 1988. 16. Nakagawa et al., 1987. 17. Ladygin et al., 1991. 18. Ostroumov, 1967. 19. Lobkov, 2002a. 20. Lobkov, 1990a. 21. Gordienko, Nechitailov, 2000. 22. Kurosawa, 2000.

Compiled by: Lobkov E. G.

The Steller's sea eagle (also known as sea eagle, Steller's eagle, Pacific eagle) is an amazingly beautiful and majestic bird. The main color of the plumage of adult birds is black-brown. Against this background, the pure white spots on the wings (shoulders), the white wedge-shaped tail, the “pants” on the legs and the base of the beak are striking. The beak itself is huge, massive, slightly swollen, bright yellow or orange. It is visible from afar and in any weather. The legs are also bright yellow. Birds don this outfit when they are four or five years old. Young eagles are completely brown, with ocher streaks. As they grow older, the amount of white in their plumage gradually increases.

This amazing bird is endemic. This means that it nests only in our country, on the coasts of Kamchatka, the Far East, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. The famous naturalist of the First Kamchatka Expedition, Georg Steller, was the first to describe the “variegated magpie eagle” (hence the name “ Steller's eagle"). They began to actively study the sea eagle only about 30 years ago, at the end of the last century. Since then, a lot of interesting information has accumulated about its habits, biology, nutrition and reproduction.

ON THE SHORE

Favorite habitats of eagles are river valleys and sea coasts. It never flies far from water; nests are most often located 0.5-1 km from the seashore or lake. Eagles are conservative in everything. A pair is chosen for life, a place for a nest and a site too. These giants mature late, only at the age of 7-8, although they split into pairs 2-3 years earlier. For several years, the young stay together, choose a site, but do not nest, although they can build “ritual” nests. On successful coasts, nests of different pairs can be located 1-2 km from each other; if there is little food, they have to disperse, and then one pair is separated from the other by 8-10 km, or even more.

NEST-FORTRESS

The eagle is a large bird, so its nests are also rather large. A newly built one can reach 1 m in diameter and almost the same in height. However, birds of prey do not build a nest anew every year, as small passerines do, but only renovate and build on the old one. And after a few years, the building often reaches simply enormous dimensions - up to 3 m! It can easily accommodate 2-3 people. The main building material of the nest is large tree branches, and the tray is lined with smaller branches and dry grass. Nests are located on large trees with a flat top, at the very top, and sometimes on rocks. The fact is that with such long and wide wings and a massive body, the eagle simply would not be able to fly up to the nest if it were “hidden” somewhere in the middle of the trunk.

LONG CHILDHOOD

In the spring, in April-May, the female lays from one to three eggs (most often two). Only the female incubates, the “husband” guards the nest and brings food. It incubates for a long time - about five weeks. The hatched chicks, covered with long white down, really want to eat, so both parents tirelessly hunt, primarily for fish. During the day, the birds feed the chicks 2-4 times, bringing large pieces of food and pinching off a little for each hungry mouth. If there is a lot of food, then the younger chicks have a chance to survive until they fly, but this rarely happens; more often, only one chick flies out of the nest. Growing up, the chicks change their white down to gray dense down, through which brown feathers soon begin to break through - the adult outfit of a predator.

The chicks sit in the nest for a long time, up to 2-2.5 months. Having fledged, they gradually begin to crawl out to the edge of the nest and exercise, vigorously flapping their wings and jumping. And one day, having made up their minds, they take off! At first, the chicks stay close to the nest, together with their parents, and then begin an independent life.

HUGE “FALLING LEAF”

In Kamchatka and the Far East, eagles are the main consumers of salmon. They catch not only live fish, but also dead ones, after spawning. They do not disdain carrion; they can catch a hare, a baby seal, and a partridge. Cases have been recorded of eagles feasting on crabs and squid. Each pair has its own hunting techniques and depends primarily on the nesting site and the experience of the birds. Watching a hunting eagle is a great pleasure. The bird sits on a convenient observation post - a high rock or tree. Seeing its prey, the eagle spreads its giant wings and flies towards it in a smooth arc. Sometimes the bird changes direction, following its prey, and then it looks like a huge falling leaf. This method of rapid descent is called the “falling leaf method.” Having reached the water, the eagle extends its talons and grabs its prey. Sometimes he even has to fly into the water, although he, of course, does not know how to dive. Having pulled out the fish, the eagle slowly begins to eat. During the spawning period, it always starts with caviar. A huge predator with red caviar flowing down its belly looks very funny... But such a “festival of the stomach” does not last long.

FEATURES OF WINTER FISHING

In winter, eagles have a much more difficult time. They do not fly far from their usual places. Some remain near their native nest, others go to the shores of Korea, etc. In winter, the main thing for the bird is the availability of unfrozen water so that it can hunt. Several dozen birds can gather in such places at the same time. If the ice holes are covered with ice, you have to supplement with waste or steal from fishermen. Yes, and this happens: sometimes eagles gather in groups in ice fishing areas, not far from the fishermen sitting on the ice floes, and wait: what if they get lucky? And when you are unlucky, many birds die from exhaustion.

Many people confuse bald eagles with eagles. But these birds are not close relatives at all. Eagles are larger than eagles, and they differ in appearance: they have unfeathered legs and a wedge-shaped tail. By the way, the famous symbol of America " White Eagle"- not an eagle at all, but a bald eagle, the closest relative of our Steller's sea eagle.

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF

Class: birds.
Order: diurnal birds of prey.
Family: Accipitridae.
Genus: eagles.
Species: Steller's sea eagle.
Latin name: Haliaeetus pelagicus.
Size: body length - 90-110 cm, wingspan up to 2.5 m.
Weight: up to 9 kg.
Color: dark brown, legs, tail, small and medium wing coverts are white.
Life expectancy of the Steller's sea eagle: 18-20 years, in captivity - up to 44 years.

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A proud, beautiful bird, the white-tailed eagle is an endangered species today. Despite their innate caution, the eagle population has declined greatly due to human efforts. Nowadays the situation is normalizing. The article will tell you in detail about the appearance and life of these beautiful proud creatures.

Description of the white-tailed eagle

There are different types of eagles, but they are all a symbol of courage, freedom and strength. Representatives of the hawk family are quite large birds. Their body reaches a length of 90 cm, weight - from 4 to 7 kg, wingspan - more than 2 m. The bird has several well-recognized features:

• The white-tailed eagle got its name because it actually has snow-white tail feathers. Although in young individuals they are brown, like the rest of the plumage. Only after some time does the eagle’s tail change color to a lighter color.
• Another distinctive feature is a very large beak, which looks disproportionate. It is yellow in color and has a pronounced bend at the end.
• The paws do not have feathering, although other representatives of the species have it.
• During flight, the wings have a straight shape; all other eagles have a pronounced bend.

Females are larger than males, which is typical for birds of prey, although there are no differences in color. The variety living in Russian open spaces is the largest among others.

Habitats and nest structure

The bird settles in different places:

• Mountain landscape;
• tundra;
• desert.

The main condition is the presence of a body of water nearby, be it a river or a lake with fresh water. If an eagle decides to settle in southern latitudes, then it does not fly for the sake of wintering, leading sedentary lifestyle. But the bald eagle leaves northern places with the onset of the cold season.

The home is thoroughly furnished– it can reach enormous sizes, about 2 meters in diameter. A pair of birds is located on the tops of tall, strong trees or rocks. This is no coincidence - the white-tailed eagle chooses a place in such a way that from its hiding place it can see the surrounding area and notice in time the approach of a prey or person.

The material for the nest, in which the bird lives for many years in a row, is thick tree branches. The housing turns out to be so strong and reliable that it can withstand any bad weather: rainstorms and the strength of winter winds. Gradually the birds expand their home. The inside of the dwelling is covered with dry leaves and bark. The height of the nest over time can reach 1.5 m. Sometimes it becomes so heavy that it falls to the ground. Then the birds have to start all over again.

The eagle settles over a fairly vast territory - from the Arctic Ocean to the Sea of ​​​​Azov. He can choose even an arid desert as a place to live. In Russia, it is especially common on the shores of Lake Baikal and along the shores of the Caspian Sea. Varieties of the white-tailed eagle live in other countries - most often in Eurasia. Both the vastness of the tundra and Japan can become his home. From cold latitudes for the winter, the white-tailed eagle migrates to China, Pakistan, and North America - this happens in September-October.

In the United States, they love this bird so much that they made it an adornment of the country's national emblem, choosing from six species of eagles. This event took place in 1782. However, in the picture the appearance of the proud bird is slightly stylized. In Russia, a white-tailed eagle adorns the flag of one of the districts of the (Slavyansky) Krasnodar Territory.

Birds also thrive in special bird sanctuaries, but there are not many of them in the world. The main problem today is the widespread human development of wild places where the white-tailed eagle prefers to settle.

Reproduction

The process of procreation begins in early spring. Birds begin nesting already in March. The clutch usually consists of a pair of eggs, rarely more. The eggs are white, with small red specks. The birds jointly care for their offspring, which appear after about 40 days. The incubation is carried out by the female, who sometimes leaves the nest to recuperate. Then the father of the family takes her place.

The pairs that make up white-tailed eagles are permanent. Therefore, the eagles equally share the care of the babies. When the chicks appear, the male brings game, which the mother feeds to the babies. The maturation period continues for about two months, then the young birds begin to hunt on their own. However, this does not prevent them from sometimes eating with their parents. They will start their own families only after 4 years.

The average lifespan of an eagle is about a quarter of a century; under favorable conditions, the lifespan can increase to 80 years. This is a very long time even for a human.

What does it eat?

The basis of the diet is fish. The feathered predator also does not disdain its relatives; it can eat partridges, seagulls, ducks, and will not refuse to taste carrion. By collecting carrion, he helps keep the earth clean.

Among mammals, hares, gophers, and muskrats become objects of hunting. The bird lies in wait for mammals near the exit from the hole. This most often happens in winter, when rivers and lakes are covered with ice, making fishing impossible.

In the summer, it is not difficult for a white-tailed eagle to snatch lunch from the water; sometimes it can even dive for a particularly large fish. Sometimes other birds become prey for the predator. Having noticed a formidable eagle in the sky, the birds in panic go under the water to hide. And when they float to the surface, the enemy’s tenacious claws await them.

Extermination

Humanity has long worked to exterminate white-tailed eagles. It was believed that it was a dangerous bird that caused damage to fisheries because it fed on river inhabitants. Birds were also blamed for the decline of their waterfowl relatives. Destruction occurred in different ways:

• shooting;
• destruction of old large trees on which nests were located;
• pollution of rivers and lakes;
• displacement from habitats.

Therefore, by the beginning of the 20th century, white-tailed eagles disappeared from their usual habitats. A few decades later, the birds were “acquitted,” and a ban on their shooting appeared. In some countries, the population of the endangered species has been partially restored, but it still remains quite rare. Today, shooting does not threaten the birds, but poor ecology has a very negative effect on the growth of their numbers.