The SEA EAGLE (_Haliaëtos albicilla_) is met with in large numbers
upon all European sea-coasts. This species is at least two and a half,
generally three feet long, and from seven to eight feet broad; the wing
measures two feet, and the tail one foot. The plumage of the full-grown
birds is greyish brown upon the head and throat, the body is fawn colour,
the wings tipped with black, and the tail with white. The eyes, beak,
cere, and feet are yellow. As the Sea Eagle increases in age, the colours
of its feathers fade, until the upper part of the body is white, and
the lower portion greyish white. The young birds are principally brown,
spotted, or mottled, with white beneath, and have a dark tail.
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The WHITE-HEADED SEA EAGLE (_Haliaëtos leucocephalus_), the North
American representative of the species above described, is somewhat
smaller than its European congener, its length not exceeding from two
feet four inches to two feet eight inches; its breadth is from six feet
to six feet nine inches; its wing measures from twenty to twenty-two
inches, and tail ten and a half to eleven and a half inches, according to
the sex. The plumage of the old bird is dark brown upon the body, each
feather being edged with a lighter shade; the head, upper part of the
throat, and tail are of snowy whiteness, and the wings black; the eyes,
cere, beak, and feet are somewhat paler than in the preceding species.
In the young birds the plumage is almost entirely blackish brown, nearly
black upon the head, throat, and nape, and presents a lighter appearance
upon the back, wings, and breast, owing to the feathers having a white
edge. The beak is dark grey, the cere greenish yellow.
[Illustration: THE HARPY EAGLE (_Harpyia destructor_).]
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The SEA EAGLE is found throughout the whole of Europe and a large part of
Asia; it likewise visits Africa regularly during the winter months. It
is certain that more than one species inhabit the European continent,
as those found in the more northerly latitudes greatly exceed in size
those of Southern Europe. We cannot do better than lay before our readers
the description of the habits of this bird as given by Audubon. Near the
border of some large stream, "this ruthless tyrant may be seen perched
in an erect attitude on the highest summit of the tallest tree, from
whence his glistening but stern eye looks down upon the scene beneath. He
listens attentively to every sound, glancing now and then around, lest
even the light tread of the fawn should pass unheard. His mate is perched
on the opposite bank of the river, and, should all be silent, warns him
by a cry to remain patient. At this well-known call the male partly opens
his broad wings, inclines his body a little downwards, and answers to
her voice in tones not unlike the laugh of a maniac; the next moment
he resumes his erect attitude, and all is again silent. Ducks of many
species, the Teal, the Widgeon, the Mallard, and others, are seen passing
and following the course of the current; but the Eagle heeds them not,
they are at this time beneath his attention. The next moment, however,
the wild trumpet-like scream of a yet distant but approaching swan is
heard. A shriek from the female Eagle comes across the stream, for she
is fully as alert as her mate. The latter suddenly shakes himself, and
with a few touches of his beak arranges his plumage. The snow-white bird
is now in sight, her long neck is stretched forward, her eye is on the
watch, vigilant as that of her enemy; she approaches, however, and the
Eagle has marked her for his prey. As the Swan is passing the dreaded
pair, the male Eagle starts from his perch with an awful scream, that
to the Swan's ear brings more terror than the report of a gun. Now is
the moment to witness the Eagle's powers: he glides through the air
like a falling star, and comes upon the timorous quarry, which, in an
agony of despair, seeks by various manœuvres to elude the grasp of his
cruel talons. It mounts, it doubles, and willingly would plunge into the
stream, were it not prevented by the Eagle, which--long possessed of the
knowledge that by such a stratagem the Swan might escape him--forces it
to remain in the air, by attempting to strike it with his talons from
beneath. The poor Swan has now become much exhausted, and its strength
fails it; it is almost at its last gasp, when its ferocious pursuer
strikes with its claws the under side of its wing, and, with irresistible
power, forces the bird to fall in a slanting direction upon the nearest
shore. And now the Eagle presses down his powerful feet, and drives his
talons deep into the heart of the dying Swan; he shrieks with delight
as he feels the last convulsions of his prey, and the female, who has
watched every movement of her mate, now sails to the spot to participate
in the gory banquet."
[Illustration: THE SEA EAGLE (_Haliaëtos albicilla_).]
Space will not allow us to quote Audubon's description at greater length,
and we must, therefore, endeavour to give particulars of the habits of
the Sea Eagles in as few words as possible. All the various species of
these birds pass their entire lives upon or in the immediate vicinity of
the sea-coast, only ranging further inland during the time that elapses
between leaving the nest and choosing a mate. As far as we can ascertain
it is an extremely rare occurrence to find a pair of Sea Eagles building
upon forest trees, even when the latter are situated in well-watered
districts, if at any great distance from the sea-coast. Except during the
breeding time they are social, and pass the night together, selecting
trees, rocks, or, when the weather is warm, small islands as their
resting-places. At the first dawn of day the whole party is astir, and
hastens at once in pursuit of food, usually preferring such prey as
Ducks, Auks, fish, or the smaller Cetaceans. Homeyer mentions having seen
these bold and powerful birds overcome a fox, in spite of the cunning
usually displayed by the wary quadruped in eluding danger. Sheep and
goats are frequently destroyed. The Sea Eagles dive deep into the water
to obtain fish, seize young dog-fishes as they swim close to the mother's
side, and have been known even to carry off children. In Kamschatka it
is not uncommon for these tyrants of the coast to be drawn under water
and drowned, whilst contending with a dolphin or sturgeon; Lenz mentions
having seen a Sea Eagle on one occasion seize one of the latter, which
was too heavy to be raised from the water; all endeavours of the sturgeon
to drag its enemy beneath the waves proved fruitless; the bird would
not relinquish its hold, and both floated along together, presenting
the appearance of a skiff in full sail. At last some men, who had been
attracted by so strange a sight, came up to the struggling combatants in
a boat, and succeeded in capturing them both.
In comparison with the flight of the True Eagle, the movements of the
Haliaëtos in the air are slow and heavy; upon the ground, however, it
moves with great facility, and can dive to a certain depth. In the
development of its senses it is not inferior to its more noble relatives,
but, unlike them, combines so much cruelty and rapacity with its courage
as to deprive its disposition of that majesty popularly attributed to the
King of Birds. The breeding season commences about March, and though each
male has but one mate during its entire life, many and frequent are the
battles that arise about the possession of these often very hardly-earned
partners. Count Wodzicki gives an interesting account of the pertinacity
and fury with which these disputes are sometimes carried on. Two male
Eagles, he tells us, that came under his own observation, fought almost
incessantly, falling upon each other with beak and claws, and rolling
upon the ground until their feathers flew in all directions and blood
flowed. During these encounters the female sat apart, and rewarded the
victor by her caresses, with the utmost indifference as to which of the
two should obtain her for his mate. After a fortnight spent in constant
battles, the strongest bird remained for the time in possession of the
field, but no sooner did the pair leave their eyrie, after rearing their
young family, than the disappointed rival at once renewed his attacks
with so much ferocity as to kill his adversary, after a short but severe
struggle.
The eyrie of the Sea Eagle is a large structure, from five to seven
feet in diameter, and from one and a half to two feet high, formed
externally of branches as thick as a man's arm, and lined with twigs; the
interior is rendered warm and soft with down plucked from the mother's
breast. The brood consists of from two to four eggs, about three inches
long; the shell is thick, rough, and coarsely grained, sometimes white
without any markings, and occasionally spotted with red or brown. What
period of time elapses before the nestlings escape from the egg is not
yet known, but it has been ascertained that both parents assist in the
work of incubation. The young do not leave the nest until from ten to
thirteen weeks after their birth, and even then return to it at night;
it is only as autumn approaches that they finally withdraw from parental
care. The Sea Eagle is extremely shy, and therefore captured with great
difficulty. In Norway small stone huts are erected for this purpose,
outside which a piece of flesh, fastened to a string, is laid upon the
ground; the other end of the string is held by a man within the hut, who
no sooner perceives that his bait is taken, than he draws up the piece
of meat, which the bird will not relinquish, and by this means usually
succeeds in bringing the huge creature to close quarters, and killing it
or making it prisoner. When caged the Sea Eagle soon becomes tame, and
learns to distinguish its friends amid a crowd of strangers; indeed, so
thoroughly does it accustom itself to its new life, that one with which
we were familiar, having escaped from confinement, used to return every
day to visit its companions, and was at last re-captured while perched
upon their cage. These Eagles have been killed in various counties in
England, and are not uncommon in the rocky parts of the western and
northern counties of Ireland; they are said to be common in Scotland,
and breed in the Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland. Dr. Heysham, in his
catalogue of Cumberland animals, says that they breed occasionally in the
neighbourhood of Keswick and Ullswater.