buckley's hole: juvenile white-bellied sea eagle #4

Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.

The water is very low in Buckley's hole at the moment, so all the eels are exposed - feast for raptors. Beside this character, there were 2 whistling kites, an osprey and Brahmany Kite on the day I was there. Couldn't get pics of the latter two.

White-bellied Sea-Eagle (with eel)
Scientific Name: Haliaeetus leucogaster
Description: The White-bellied Sea-Eagle has white on the head, rump and underparts and dark grey on the back and wings. In flight the black flight feathers on the wings are easily seen when the bird is viewed from below. The large, hooked bill is grey with a darker tip, and the eye is dark brown. The legs and feet are cream-white, with long black talons (claws). The sexes are similar. As in other raptors (birds of prey), Males (2.5 kg - 3.7 kg) are slightly smaller than females (2.8 kg - 4.2 kg).The wingspan is about 1.8 m - 2 m. Young Sea-Eagles are brown as juveniles than slowly become to resemble adults in a patchwork manner, acquiring the complete adult plumage by their fourth year.
Similar species: The White-bellied Sea-Eagle is the second largest raptor (bird of prey) found in Australia. The largest is the Wedge-tailed Eagle, Aquila audax, which stands up to 1 m tall. The Wedge-tailed Eagle is mostly brown, with a wedge-shaped tail. Young Sea-Eagles may be confused with the Wedge-tailed Eagle, but differ in having a paler head and tail and more steeply upswept wings when soaring.
Distribution: White-bellied Sea-Eagles are a common sight in coastal and near coastal areas of Australia. In addition to Australia, the species is found in New Guinea, Indonesia, China, south-east Asia and India
Habitat: White-bellied Sea-Eagles are normally seen perched high in a tree, or soaring over waterways and adjacent land. Birds form permanent pairs that inhabit territories throughout the year.
Feeding: The White-bellied Sea-Eagle feeds mainly off aquatic animals, such as fish, turtles and sea snakes, but it takes birds and mammals as well. It is a skilled hunter, and will attack prey up to the size of a swan. Sea-Eagles also feed on carrion (dead prey) such as sheep and fish along the waterline. They harass smaller birds, forcing them to drop any food that they are carrying. Sea-Eagles feed alone, in pairs or in family groups.
Breeding: White-bellied Sea-Eagles build a large stick nest, which is used for many seasons in succession. The nest can be located in a tree up to 30m above the ground, but may also be placed on the ground or on rocks, where there are no suitable trees. At the start of the breeding season, the nest is lined with fresh green leaves and twigs. The female carries out most of the incubation of the white eggs, but the male performs this duty from time to time.
Calls: Distinctive loud "goose-like" honking call, which is heard particularly during the breeding season.
Minimum Size: 75cm
Maximum Size: 85cm
Average size: 80cm
Average weight: 2 630g
Breeding season: May to October
Clutch Size: Two.
(Source: www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Haliaeetus-leucogaster)
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© Chris Burns 2019

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This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.

Taken in: Australia / Queensland / Bongaree (show map)

Taken on: January 16, 2019

Tags:

White-bellied Sea-Eagle

Haliaeetus leucogaster

sea eagle

raptor

bird

Australian birds

fauna

Australian fauna

wildlife

Australian wildlife

outdoors

nature

Nikon D500

Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VRS

Buckley's Hole

Bribie Island

Queensland

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Camera: Nikon D500, f/5.6, 1/1600 sec, 500mm (=750mm), ISO 250 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D500
Lens:	200.0-500.0 mm f/5.6
Aperture:	f/5.6
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/1600)
Focal Length:	500mm (35mm equivalent: 750mm)
ISO:	250
Exposure Bias:	-1/3 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Saturation:	High
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 (Windows)
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