White-tailed eagle – a prime example of successful conservation efforts
The white-tailed eagle is the largest bird of prey found in Finland. With a wingspan of 180–240 cm, it’s no wonder that Finnish ecologist Pentti Linkola once used the words “flying barn door” to describe flying white-tailed eagles. The white-tailed eagle nearly went extinct in Finland in the 1970s, but thanks to persistent conservation efforts, it has since become a common sight in the Finnish archipelago. Those with keen eyes may also spot white-tailed eagles majestically circling in the skies above Ruissalo. Adult, sexually mature white-tailed eagles can be identified by their white tails.
The white-tailed eagle was nearly driven to extinction in Finland due to persecution and environmental toxins. In the mid-1970s, only four white-tailed eagle chicks are known to have hatched in Finland. Thanks to conservation efforts, the annual number of chicks has since risen to 400–500, meaning a hundredfold increase! The species’ range covers the entire Finnish coast and archipelago. In recent years, white-tailed eagles have also spread inland to the largest lakes. White-tailed eagles feed on fish, bird chicks and anseriformes. Some of them have also learned to hunt great cormorant chicks.
