White-Bellied Sea-Eagle

The white-bellied sea eagle is a large diurnal raptor with a white head, breast, underwing coverts and tail that contrast sharply with grey upperparts and black flight feathers. Females are larger than males. Immature birds are mostly brown and take four to five years to acquire the adult white plumage (Wikipedia, general species account).

It lives along coasts and major waterways from India and Sri Lanka east through Southeast Asia to Australia, and in India it is regularly found from Mumbai eastward; there are occasional inland records, including near central Indian tiger reserves almost 1,000 km from the sea. Fish make up roughly half of its diet, with catfish over 50 cm taken, and it also hunts sea snakes, turtles, waterfowl and flying foxes, takes carrion, and often harasses smaller raptors for their catches. Pairs are monogamous for life, perform aerial talon-grappling displays, and build large stick nests in tall trees near water, usually with two eggs; rearing both chicks is unusual (Wikipedia, general species account).