View source for Biology:Sea eagle

{{Short description|Genus of birds}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Sea eagles
| fossil_range = [[Earth:Middle Miocene|Middle Miocene]]–Recent {{fossilrange|16|0|ref=<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mindat.org|url=https://www.mindat.org/taxon-2480444.html|access-date=2021-05-28|website=www.mindat.org}}</ref> 
}}
| image = The Bald Eagle By Carole Robertson.jpg
| image_caption = [[Biology:Bald eagle|Bald eagle]]<br />(''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'')
| image_upright = 1.2
| taxon = Haliaeetus
| authority = Savigny, 1809
| type_species = ''[[Biology:White-tailed eagle|Falco albicilla]]''
| type_species_authority = [[Biography:Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]] (1753)
| subdivision_ranks = [[Biology:Species|Species]]
| subdivision = See text
| synonyms = ''Ichthyophaga'' {{small|Lesson,1843}}
| synonyms_ref = 
}}

A '''sea eagle''' or '''fish eagle''' (also called '''erne''' or '''ern''', mostly in reference to the white-tailed eagle) is any of the [[Biology:Bird of prey|birds of prey]] in the [[Biology:Genus|genus]] '''''Haliaeetus'''''<ref>Etymology: Neo-Latin "sea eagle", from [[Social:Ancient Greek|Ancient Greek]] [http://archimedes.fas.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/dict?name=lsj&lang=el&word=a%28lia%2fetos&filter=CUTF8] {{lang|grc|ἁλιάετος}} (''haliaetos'') or {{lang|grc|ἁλιαίετος}} (''haliaietos'', poetic (e.g. Homeric) variant), "sea eagle, osprey" (''hali'', "at sea" (dative case), + ''aetos'', "eagle"). The two variant Greek forms lie behind the equally correct latinizations ''haliaetus'' (as in ''Pandion haliaetus'') and ''haliaeetus''.</ref> in the bird of prey family [[Biology:Accipitridae|Accipitridae]].

==Taxonomy and evolution==
The genus ''Haliaeetus'' was introduced in 1809 by French naturalist Marie Jules César Savigny in his chapter on birds in the ''Description de l'Égypte''.<ref>{{ cite book | last=Savigny | first=Marie Jules César |  year=1809 | title=Description de l'Égypte: Histoire naturelle Volume 1 | publisher=Imprimerie impériale | place=Paris | language=fr | pages=[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15989457 68], [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15989474 85]}}</ref><ref>{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Cottrell | editor2-first=G. William | year=1979 | title=Check-list of Birds of the World. Volume 1 | volume=1 | edition=2nd | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=299 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16108939 }}</ref> The two fish eagles in the genus ''Ichthyophaga'' were found to lie within ''Haliaeetus'' in a genetic study in 2005,<ref>{{cite journal|title=Phylogeny of eagles, Old World vultures, and other Accipitridae based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA|last1=Lerner |first1= Heather R.L.  |first2=David P. |last2=Mindell | journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|volume=37 |year=2005|pages=327–46| doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2005.04.010|url=http://www-personal.umich.edu/~hlerner/LM2005.pdf|pmid=15925523|issue=2}}</ref> they were then moved accordingly. They are very similar to the tropical ''Haliaeetus'' species. A prehistoric (i.e. extinct before 1500) form from Maui in the Hawaiian Islands may represent a species or subspecies in this genus.

The relationships to other genera in the family are less clear; they have long been considered closer to the genus ''[[Biology:Milvus|Milvus]]'' (kites) than to the true eagles in the genus ''[[Biology:Aquila (genus)|Aquila]]'' on the basis of their morphology and display behaviour;{{sfn|del Hoyo|Elliott|Sargatal|1994|p=}}<ref name="Brown1968">Brown, L. H, & Amadon, D. (1968). ''Eagles, Hawks and Falcons of the World''. Country Life Books, Feltham.</ref> more recent genetic evidence agrees with this, but points to their being related to the genus ''[[Biology:Buteo|Buteo]]'' (buzzards/hawks), as well, a relationship not previously thought close.{{sfn|Wink|Heidrich|Fentzloff|1996|p=}}

A 2005 molecular study found that the genus is paraphyletic and subsumes ''Ichthyophaga'', the species diverging into a temperate and tropical group.<ref>[http://www-personal.umich.edu/~hlerner/LM2005.pdf LM2005.pdf]</ref>
===Evolution===
''Haliaeetus'' is possibly one of the oldest genera of living birds. A [[Biology:Anatomical terms of location#Proximal and distal|distal]] left [[Biology:Tarsometatarsus|tarsometatarsus]] (DPC 1652) recovered from early [[Earth:Oligocene|Oligocene]] deposits of Fayyum, [[Place:Egypt|Egypt]] (Jebel Qatrani Formation, about 33 million years ago (Mya)) is similar in general pattern and some details to that of a modern sea eagle.<ref name="Rasmussen1987">Rasmussen, D., Tab, O., Storrs, L., & Simons, E. L. (1987). Fossil Birds from the Oligocene Jebel Qatrani Formation, Fayum Province, Egypt. ''Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology'' 62: 1–20. [http://www.sil.si.edu/smithsoniancontributions/Paleobiology/pdf_hi/SCtP-0062.pdf PDF Fulltext] (file size 8.1 MB)</ref> The genus was present in the middle Miocene (12-16 Mya) with certainty.<ref name="Lambrecht1933">Lambrecht, K. (1933). ''Handbuch der Palaeornithologie''. Gebrüder Bornträger, Berlin.</ref>

The origin of the sea eagles and fishing eagles is probably in the general area of the Bay of Bengal. During the [[Earth:Eocene|Eocene]]/[[Earth:Oligocene|Oligocene]], as the [[Earth:Indian subcontinent|Indian subcontinent]] slowly collided with [[Earth:Eurasia|Eurasia]], this was a vast expanse of fairly shallow ocean; the initial sea eagle divergence seems to have resulted in the four tropical (and [[Earth:Southern Hemisphere|Southern Hemisphere]] subtropical) species living around the [[Earth:Indian Ocean|Indian Ocean]] today. The [[Place:Central Asia|Central Asia]]n Pallas's sea eagle's relationships to the other taxa is more obscure; it seems closer to the three [[Biology:Holarctic|Holarctic]] species which evolved later and may be an early offshoot of this northward expansion; it does not have the hefty yellow bill of the northern forms, retaining a smaller, darker beak like the tropical species.{{sfn|Wink|Heidrich|Fentzloff|1996|p=}}

The rate of [[Biology:Molecular evolution|molecular evolution]] in ''Haliaeetus'' is fairly slow, as is to be expected in long-lived birds which take years to successfully reproduce. In the mtDNA [[Biology:Cytochrome b|cytochrome ''b'']] gene, a [[Biology:Mutation|mutation]] rate of 0.5–0.7% per million years (if assuming an Early Miocene divergence) or maybe as little as 0.25–0.3% per million years (for a Late Eocene divergence) has been shown.{{sfn|Wink|Heidrich|Fentzloff|1996|p=}}

== Species ==
The 10 extant species are:{{sfn|del Hoyo|Elliott|Sargatal|1994|p=}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Image !! Scientific name !! Common name!! Distribution
|-
|[[File:Eagle looking left.jpg|150px]] || ''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'' || [[Biology:Bald eagle|Bald eagle]] ||All of the continental {{wipe|United States}}, {{wipe|Canada}}, and northern Mexico
|-
|[[File:White Bellied Sea Eagle 070531b.jpg|150px]] || ''Haliaeetus leucogaster'' || White-bellied sea eagle ||  {{wipe|India}} and Sri Lanka through [[Place:Southeast Asia|Southeast Asia]] to {{wipe|Australia}}
|-
| || ''Haliaeetus sanfordi'' || [[Biology:Sanford's sea eagle|Sanford's sea eagle]] ||Solomon Islands
|-
|[[File:African Fish Eagle AdF.jpg|150px]] || ''Haliaeetus vocifer'' || African fish eagle || [[Place:Sub-Saharan Africa|Sub-Saharan Africa]]
|-
|[[File:Madagascan Fish Eagle - Ankarafantsika - Madagascar (15111026410) (2).jpg|150px]] || ''Haliaeetus vociferoides'' || [[Biology:Madagascar fish eagle|Madagascar fish eagle]] || {{wipe|Madagascar}}
|-
|[[File:Pallas's Fish-eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus by Dr. Raju Kasambe IMG 0582 (10).CR2.JPG|150px]] || ''Haliaeetus leucoryphus'' || [[Biology:Pallas's fish eagle|Pallas's fish eagle]] || Central Asia, between the Caspian Sea and the Yellow Sea, from Kazakhstan and Mongolia to the Himalayas, Bangladesh and northern India.
|-
|[[File:White-tailed Sea Eagle.JPG|150px]] || ''Haliaeetus albicilla'' || [[Biology:White-tailed eagle|White-tailed eagle]] || Western Greenland, most of Eurasia as far south as southeastern China and Japan
|-
|[[File:Riesenseeadler Walsrode 2014 01.jpg|150px]] || ''Haliaeetus pelagicus'' || [[Biology:Steller's sea eagle|Steller's sea eagle]] ||Coastal northeastern Asia
|-
|[[File:Lesser Fish Eagle - Icthyophaga humilis - DSC04901.jpg|150px]] || ''Haliaeetus humilis'' || Lesser fish eagle || Kashmir through southeast India, Nepal, and Burma towards [[Place:Indochina|Indochina]]
|-
|[[File:Grey-headed Fish-Eagle (Icthyophaga ichthyaetus) adult - Flickr - Lip Kee (3).jpg|150px]] || ''Haliaeetus ichthyaetus'' || Grey-headed fish eagle ||[[Place:Southeast Asia|Southeast Asia]]
|-
|}

==Description==
Sea eagles vary in size, from [[Biology:Sanford's sea eagle|Sanford's sea eagle]], averaging {{convert|2|-|2.7|kg|lb}}, to [[Biology:Steller's sea eagle|Steller's sea eagle]], weighing up to {{cvt|9|kg|lb}}.{{sfn|del Hoyo|Elliott|Sargatal|1994|p=}} At up to {{cvt|6.9|kg|lboz}}, the [[Biology:White-tailed eagle|white-tailed eagle]] is the largest eagle in Europe. [[Biology:Bald eagle|Bald eagle]]s can weigh up to {{cvt|6.3|kg|lboz}}, making them the largest eagle native to North America. There are exceptional records of even heavier individuals in both the white-tailed and bald eagles, although not surpassing the largest Steller's sea eagles. The [[Biology:White-bellied sea eagle|white-bellied sea eagle]] can weigh up to {{cvt|4.5|kg|lboz}}.{{sfn|del Hoyo|Elliott|Sargatal|1994|p=}} They are generally overall brown (from rich brown to dull grey-brown), often with white to the head, tail or underparts. Some of the species have an all-yellow beak as adults, which is unusual among eagles.{{sfn|del Hoyo|Elliott|Sargatal|1994|p=}}

Their diets consist mainly of fish, aquatic birds, and small mammals. Nests are typically very large and positioned in a tree, but sometimes on a cliff.{{sfn|del Hoyo|Elliott|Sargatal|1994|p=}}

The tail is entirely white in adult ''Haliaeetus'' species except for Sanford's, white-bellied, and Pallas's. Three species pairs exist: white-tailed and bald eagles, Sanford's and white-bellied sea eagles, and the African and Madagascar fish eagles,{{sfn|Wink|Heidrich|Fentzloff|1996|p=}} each of these consists of a white- and a tan-headed species.

==In popular culture==
[[File:Meritiedustelupataljoona.svg|thumb|upright|A sea eagle in the flag of Naval Reconnaissance Battalion of Finnish Navy]]
* The [[Biology:Bald eagle|bald eagle]] is the national symbol of the {{wipe|United States}}.
* The silver eagle on red shield on the arms of Poland has been interpreted as the sea eagle.
* Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have the [[Biology:African fish eagle|African fish eagle]] as their national bird.
* The [[Biology:White-tailed eagle|white-tailed eagle]] is the national bird of {{wipe|Poland}}.
* The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL).
* Nesting pairs of both the bald eagle and white-bellied sea eagle have been subject to live-streaming webcam footage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/eagle-cam-becomes-net-sensation-20110405-1czwn.html|title=Eagle cam becomes net sensation |work=Sydney Morning Herald|author=AFP|date=5 April 2011 |access-date=5 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sea-Eagle CAM |url=http://www.sea-eaglecam.org/index.html |website=Sea Eagle Cam, BirdLife Australia|access-date=7 September 2020}}</ref>
* In heraldic language, the [[Biology:Osprey|osprey]] is termed a "sea-eagle", although ospreys come from the taxonomic family ''[[Biology:Pandionidae|Pandionidae]]'' and are not classified as true sea eagles.

==See also==
* [[Biology:Brahminy kite|Brahminy kite]], also called red-backed sea eagle
*[[Biology:Osprey|Osprey]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

=== General sources ===
* {{cite book
  | editor-last = del Hoyo
  | editor-first = J.
  | editor2-last = Elliott
  | editor2-first = A.
  | editor3-last = Sargatal
  | editor3-first = J.
  | year = 1994
  | title = [[Handbook of the Birds of the World]]
  | volume = 2
  | publisher = Lynx Edicions
  | location = Barcelona
  | isbn = 84-87334-15-6
  }}
* {{cite journal| last1 = Wink | first1 = M.| last2 = Heidrich | first2 = P.| last3 = Fentzloff | first3 = C.| year = 1996| doi = 10.1016/S0305-1978(96)00049-X| title = A mtDNA phylogeny of sea eagles (genus ''Haliaeetus'') based on nucleotide sequences of the cytochrome ''b'' gene| journal = Biochemical Systematics and Ecology| volume = 24| issue = 7–8| pages = 783–791| url = http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/institute/fak14/ipmb/phazb/pubwink/1996/20_1996.pdf}}

== External links ==

{{Taxonbar|from=Q147403}}

[[Category:Haliaeetus|*]]

{{Sourceattribution|Sea eagle|1}}