White-bellied Sea Eagle

Imagine a bird with a bright white chest and head, like it's wearing a snowy tuxedo! That's the White-bellied Sea Eagle. It's a big bird, with a wingspan that can be as wide as two grown-ups holding hands.

These amazing hunters love to live near the water, like oceans and big rivers. They build their nests high up in trees, so they can easily spot their next meal swimming below. They are often seen soaring high in the sky, looking for fish to eat.

The White-bellied Sea Eagle is a super-smart hunter, and its favorite food is fish! It's called a 'sea' eagle because it loves to hunt near the sea. It will swoop down from the sky with its sharp talons ready to grab a fish right out of the water.

But if fish are hard to find, it's not picky! It will also eat other animals, like birds or even things that have already died. It's like a feathered scavenger and hunter all in one!

Baby White-bellied Sea Eagles are born all brown and fluffy. They stay brown for a long time, until they are about five or six years old. Then, slowly, their feathers change to white, especially on their belly and head. They make a loud honking sound, a bit like a goose! These birds are found in many places, from India all the way to Australia, as long as there's water nearby for them to hunt.

These magnificent birds are really important to the places they live. In some parts of Australia, people who have lived there for a very, very long time think the White-bellied Sea Eagle is special and tell stories about it. But sadly, sometimes people build too close to their homes or cut down the trees they need for nests.

This makes it hard for them to raise their babies, so we need to help protect their homes.