Red-legged Sparrowhawk vs White-tailed Eagle
Accipiter erythropus compared with Haliaeetus albicilla
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Red-legged Sparrowhawk | White-tailed Eagle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Accipiter erythropus | Haliaeetus albicilla |
| Order | Accipitriformes | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae | Accipitridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 84.0 cm (33.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 30.9 cm (12.2 in) | 225.0 cm (88.6 in) |
| Weight | 118.5 g (4.18 oz) | 5200.0 g (183.42 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Fish, waterfowl, and carrion. Often pirates food from other birds. Takes fish from the water … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Red-legged Sparrowhawk only
White-tailed Eagle only
White-tailed Eagle
Coastlines, large lakes, and rivers with mature trees or cliffs for nesting. Requires large undisturbed areas.
Song & Call Comparison
Red-legged Sparrowhawk
White-tailed Eagle
High-pitched, yelping 'klee-klee' and deep barking 'ra-ra-ra'. Less vocal than Bald Eagle but similar chattering quality. Gives gull-like wailing near nest in breeding season.
Geographic Range & Migration
Red-legged Sparrowhawk
White-tailed Eagle
Northern Europe and Asia from Greenland and Scandinavia to Japan. Reintroduced to Scotland and Ireland.
Conservation Status
Red-legged Sparrowhawk
White-tailed Eagle
How to Tell Them Apart
Red-legged Sparrowhawk
White-tailed Eagle
Brown body with a paler head in adults and a distinctive short white wedge-shaped tail. Massive broad wings in flight. Juveniles are darker overall.
Very large, heavy, pale yellow bill
About These Birds
Red-legged Sparrowhawk
The Red-legged Sparrowhawk, <em>Accipiter erythropus</em>, is a small raptor in the family Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles & Kites). It inhabits forest environments, consistent with the arboreal hunting style characteristic of accipiters. Detailed plumage and behavioral descriptions of this species are limited in the available literature. The species is assessed as Least Concern on global conservation evaluations. Available nesting data indicate a clutch size of 2 eggs, though further details on nest structure, incubation duration, and fledging period are not documented here. …
White-tailed Eagle
The white-tailed eagle is Europe's largest eagle and the fourth-largest eagle in the world. Once extinct in Britain, it has been successfully reintroduced to Scotland and Ireland through conservation programs. These powerful raptors can live over 25 years and form lifelong pair bonds.