08.03.23 - White-tailed eagles in Greenland: Masters of the skies

The white-tailed eagle is a resident and roaming bird in the southern and central parts of West Greenland and is the country's biggest bird of prey. The large bird of prey with its razor-sharp sight is a special - and significantly bigger - race of the European eagle, but has been isolated in Greenland for many thousands of years.

In the 1970s it was estimated that there were no more than 100 pairs in Greenland, and at that time the species was thought to be endangered. This no longer applies, however, now that the white-tailed eagle has been a protected species ever since, while an esteemed researcher in the area estimates that the population now stands at around 500.



Population increasing
- Formerly, the white-tailed eagle was not very well accepted because sheep farmers claimed that it hunted lamb. It was said to have a negative effect on the interests of both fishermen and sheep farmers, but this situation has fortunately been turned around through information campaigns and protection legislation. Today the white-tailed eagle is flourishing much more strongly in Greenland, as can be seen by the fact that the population is gradually increasing and is generally pretty stable, explains ornithologist Frank Wille to greenland.com

- The Greenlandic white-tailed eagle is sexually mature in the 5th or 6th year of its life, and the female lays her eggs at the end of April. It then broods for 38 days and the chicks remain in the nest for two and a half months. In August the chicks begin practising their flying skills so that they are able to fend for themselves before the onset of winter, explains Frank Wille, who has studied and been fascinated by the masters of the skies over Greenland for almost four decades.

Clever eagles worth seeing
As the Greenlandic white-tailed eagle gets older, it gradually supplements a mottled white body with striking white tail feathers. According to the white-tailed eagle specialist, there are clear indications that the eagle also becomes smarter with age (the white-tailed eagle can live to an age of more than 50 years).

- I have observed older pairs of eagles who have jointly developed an advanced hunting technique. They simply force birds on lakes or at sea to dive and then take it in turns to circle above a potential prey to constantly stress it down into the water again. This can last for some 15-20 minutes. This effective collaboration tires its prey to such an extent that it ends its days in the claws of one of the eagles.



To see white-tailed eagles in Greenland you do not have to go out into the middle of the countryside and the fjords, as the birds are often also seen near towns and settlements such as Narsarsuaq, Paamiut, Nuuk, Maniitsoq, as well as roaming further north up to Kangerlussuaq and the Disko Bay region.