White-tailed Eagle

White-tailed Eagle

Haliaeetus albicilla

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
50–60% · Likely
overall probability at Hortobágy National Park
276 Verified records at Hortobágy National Park
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), sometimes known as the "sea eagle", is a large bird of prey, widely distributed across temperate Eurasia. Like other eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which also includes other diurnal raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers. One of up to eleven members in the genus Haliaeetus, which are commonly called sea eagles, it is also referred to as the white-tailed sea-eagle. Sometimes, it is known as the ern or erne (depending on spelling by sources), gray sea eagle and Eurasian sea eagle. While found across a wide range, breeding from as far west as Greenland and Iceland across to as far east as Hokkaido, Japan, they may be scarce and have thinly distributed nesting due to human activities, including habitat alteration and destruction of wetlands, about a century of systematic human persecution (from the early 1800s to around World War II) followed by inadvertent poisoning and epidemics of nesting failure due to chemical pesticides and organic compounds, which have threatened eagles since the 1950s and continue to be a concern. For these reasons, the white-tailed eagle was considered endangered or extinct in several countries. Wikipedia →

50–60% of wildlife watchers report a White-tailed Eagle sighting in Hortobágy National Park, based on 276 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

📅 Monthly Probability

60–70
Jan
50–60
Feb
40–50
Mar
40–50
Apr
40–50
May
30–40
Jun
50–60
Jul
40–50
Aug
50–60
Sep
70–80
Oct
50–60
Nov
70–80
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
50–60%
2 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
40–50%
3 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
40–50%
4 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
20–30%
5 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
20–30%
6 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
10–20%
7 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
5–10%
8 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
9 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
10 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
<5%
11 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
<5%
12 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
13 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
14 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
15 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Insufficient data
16 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
17 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
Insufficient data
18 Thingvellir National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
Insufficient data
19 Picos de Europa National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
20 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a White-tailed Eagle in Hortobágy National Park?

About 55% of wildlife watchers report a White-tailed Eagle sighting in Hortobágy National Park, based on 276 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see White-tailed Eagle in Hortobágy National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for White-tailed Eagle in Hortobágy National Park in our monthly data.

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