site.btaNest of Protected White-tailed Eagle Found by Environmentalists

A pair of nesting birds from the protected species White-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) were found by representatives of the Green Balkans environmental organization on January 6. The newly registered nest is located close to a micro dam, but the exact location is kept a secret to avoid human disturbance, Ivaylo Klisurov of Green Balkans told BTA on Monday.

The environmentalists found a male and a female bird and a completed nest. The pair of eagles are preparing for the laying of eggs in February. The chicks are expected to leave the nest around May or June, Klisurov explained. By then, they will be the size of a turkey, the biologist said.

White-tailed eagles build massive and heavy nests on poplar trees, which is why storms often knock them down. Green Balkans' Wildlife Rehabilitation and Breeding Centre has many times cared for young birds in need of additional care to grow and take flight into the wild, Klisurov noted.

The White-tailed eagle is one of the biggest birds of prey in Europe with a wing span of 210 to 260 cm. The species was rare for Bulgaria in the 1980s and 1990s, but in the last years the population has grown; it is protected under Bulgarian law. There are no specific data on the number of individuals, but there are probably 50 to 70 pairs in Bulgaria, Klisurov said. The White-tailed eagle lives mostly near micro dams around the Maritsa, Toundzha and Danube rivers, where it feeds mainly on fish.