According to biologists at the Icelandic Institute of Natural History, a record number of 51 sea eagle pairs are attending nests this year. This year’s nesting population is one pair larger than last year’s when 50 pairs nested, with forty eagle chicks managing to survive. The eggs are laid in early April and hatch in May. The hatchlings do not leave the nests until August.
Despite the record number of nests biologists are worried that bad weather might prevent the eagles from nursing their young to maturity. The next weeks are critical for the survival of the young. However, according to weather forecasts we can expect strong winds from the north, and the unusually cold weather in May, which was the coldest in three decades, has caused concern. In previous years strong winds from the north in early summer have meant most of the young have died from starvation.
Once endangered but now growing
The Icelandic sea eagle population, which was considered seriously endangered during the mid-20th century has growing considerably in the past few years. Currently the Icelandic population is believed to be around 70 couples, but reached as few as 20 in the 1960s.
The population had plummeted since the late 19th century when farmers began killing the birds and destroying nests to protect livestock and the nests of eider, who produced valuable eiderdown. The population has been estimated to have been around 120 pairs in the 1870s, but even if the sea eagles achieved the status of a protect species in 1914 the population continued to drop due to the widespread practice of poisoning against foxes. The population only began to recover in the 1970s, following a ban on the use of poison in controlling the fox population.
Read more: Spotting puffins: here is our map showing the best places around Iceland
The birds which become sexually mature at four years old and live up to 25 years pair for life and choose permanent home ranges. Nests are re-used year after year, growing to considerable sizes. The oldest known nest, located in located, was estimated to be 150 years old.
Breiðafjörður bay's many islands
The sea eagles nests in Western Iceland, around Faxaflói Bay and in the Western Fjords. However, the best area for eagle sightings are the shores and many Islands of Breiðafjörður bay. The sea eagle are protected, and it is illegal to approach an eagles nest, but if you are lucky you can catch a glimpse of these majestic birds searching for food for their young
Read more: A white-tailed eagle and a vixen caught on film fighting over food
The sea eagle, which is a majestic bird, is the European cousin of the North American Bald Eagle. It is also one of the largest of any eagle species, and has the largest average wingspan. The median wingspan of Sea Eagles is 2.18 meters, although specimens with wingspans of up to 2.53 meters have been recorded. The sea eagles are more vocal than other eagles and can often be heard calling each other, especially during the mating season. They can be identified by their huge wingspan and steady, evenly held wings, white tail, yellow beaks and mousy coloring of the wings and body.
According to biologists at the Icelandic Institute of Natural History, a record number of 51 sea eagle pairs are attending nests this year. This year’s nesting population is one pair larger than last year’s when 50 pairs nested, with forty eagle chicks managing to survive. The eggs are laid in early April and hatch in May. The hatchlings do not leave the nests until August.
Despite the record number of nests biologists are worried that bad weather might prevent the eagles from nursing their young to maturity. The next weeks are critical for the survival of the young. However, according to weather forecasts we can expect strong winds from the north, and the unusually cold weather in May, which was the coldest in three decades, has caused concern. In previous years strong winds from the north in early summer have meant most of the young have died from starvation.
Once endangered but now growing
The Icelandic sea eagle population, which was considered seriously endangered during the mid-20th century has growing considerably in the past few years. Currently the Icelandic population is believed to be around 70 couples, but reached as few as 20 in the 1960s.
The population had plummeted since the late 19th century when farmers began killing the birds and destroying nests to protect livestock and the nests of eider, who produced valuable eiderdown. The population has been estimated to have been around 120 pairs in the 1870s, but even if the sea eagles achieved the status of a protect species in 1914 the population continued to drop due to the widespread practice of poisoning against foxes. The population only began to recover in the 1970s, following a ban on the use of poison in controlling the fox population.
Read more: Spotting puffins: here is our map showing the best places around Iceland
The birds which become sexually mature at four years old and live up to 25 years pair for life and choose permanent home ranges. Nests are re-used year after year, growing to considerable sizes. The oldest known nest, located in located, was estimated to be 150 years old.
Breiðafjörður bay's many islands
The sea eagles nests in Western Iceland, around Faxaflói Bay and in the Western Fjords. However, the best area for eagle sightings are the shores and many Islands of Breiðafjörður bay. The sea eagle are protected, and it is illegal to approach an eagles nest, but if you are lucky you can catch a glimpse of these majestic birds searching for food for their young
Read more: A white-tailed eagle and a vixen caught on film fighting over food
The sea eagle, which is a majestic bird, is the European cousin of the North American Bald Eagle. It is also one of the largest of any eagle species, and has the largest average wingspan. The median wingspan of Sea Eagles is 2.18 meters, although specimens with wingspans of up to 2.53 meters have been recorded. The sea eagles are more vocal than other eagles and can often be heard calling each other, especially during the mating season. They can be identified by their huge wingspan and steady, evenly held wings, white tail, yellow beaks and mousy coloring of the wings and body.
