Nature

White-Tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)

According to the legend about the origins of Poland, Lech, the first leader of the Polanie tribe was resting under a large oak tree when he saw an eagle nest set against a background of the descending sun. He treated this as a good sign and decided to start a settlement called Gniezno – which became the first capital of Poland. The white eagle on red background is until today the emblem of Poland. The white-tailed eagle is Poland’s largest predator bird (its wings stretch up to 2,5 metres). It has always been treated with great respect and pride. Unfortunately, the eagle was also regarded as competition to human hunters. From the 18th century till early 20th century, eagles in Europe were killed in large numbers, which caused them to disappear totally from the UK (in 1818) and Ireland (1898). In Poland the white-tailed eagle is a protected species since 1934 and its population today is around 650 pairs. The birds stay in same pairs for their entire life (over 20 years) and they share a territory of ca. 100 square kilometres. White-tailed eagles are environmentally demanding and very sensitive to any changes. They build their nests only in very old and tall trees (up to 35 metres), situated in river valleys or open areas. They prey mainly upon fish, river birds, and – less frequently – mammals. In the winter they also feed on carrion.

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