Sanford's sea eagle

Sanford's sea eagle

Sanford's fish eagle, Solomon eagle

Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Haliaeetus sanfordi

Sanford's sea eagle (Haliaeetus sanfordi ), also known as Sanford's fish eagle or the Solomon eagle, is a sea eagle endemic to the Solomon Islands archipelago.

In Culture

The eagle is often illustrated on postage stamps of the Solomon Islands.

Appearance

It can reach a length of 70–90 cm (28–35 in) and a weight between 1.1 and 2.7 kg (2.4 and 6.0 lb). Its wingspan is 165–185 cm (5.41–6.07 ft). It is the only large predator on the Solomon Islands. The eagles inhabit coastal forests and lakes up to an altitude of about 1500 m above sea level.

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Their plumage is whitish brown to bright brown on the head and the neck. The underparts are brown to reddish brown and dark brown. The upperparts are darkish brown to gray-black. The eyes are bright brown. Uniquely among sea eagles, this species has an entirely dark tail throughout its life.

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Geography

Biogeographical realms

Diet and Nutrition

The diet consists of mainly of tideline carrion, fish, molluscs, crabs, tortoises, and sea snakes, and more rarely birds and megabats snatched from the rainforest canopy. It has also been reported to feed opportunistically on the northern common cuscus.

Mating Habits

The breeding season is from August to October. The nest consists of two eggs.

References

1. Sanford's sea eagle Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanford's_sea_eagle
2. Sanford's sea eagle on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22695105/93489798

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