The White-bellied Sea Eagle is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. A distinctive bird, adults have a white head, breast, under-wing coverts and tail. The upper parts are grey and the black under-wing flight feathers contrast with the white coverts. Like many raptors, the female is slightly larger than the male, and can measure up to 90 cm (36 in) long with a wingspan of up to 2.2 m (7 ft), and weigh 4.5 kg (10 lb). The call is a loud goose-like honking. Resident from India and Sri Lanka through southeast Asia to Australia on coasts and major waterways, the White-bellied Sea Eagle breeds and hunts near water, and fish form around half of its diet. Opportunistic, it consumes carrion and a wide variety of animals. Although rated of Least Concern globally, it has declined in parts of southeast Asia such as Thailand, and southeastern Australia. Human disturbance to its habitat is the main threat, both from direct human activity near nests which impacts on breeding success, and from removal of suitable trees for nesting. The White-bellied Sea Eagle is revered by indigenous people in many parts of Australia, and is the subject of various folk tales throughout its range.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-bellied_Sea_Eagle
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1637:
Eighty Years' War: Off the coast of Cornwall, England, a Spanish fleet intercepted an important Anglo-Dutch merchant convoy of 44 vessels escorted by 6 warships, destroying or capturing 20 of them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_off_Lizard_Point
1873:
Vasil Levski (pictured), the national hero of Bulgaria, was executed in Sofia by Ottoman authorities for his efforts to establish an independent Bulgarian republic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasil_Levski
1943:
Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's propaganda minister, delivered the Sportpalast speech to motivate the German people when the tide of World War II was turning against Germany. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportpalast_speech
1957:
Kenyan independence leader Dedan Kimathi, who spearheaded the Mau Mau Rebellion, was executed by British authorities, who saw him as a terrorist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dedan_Kimathi
2001:
American FBI agent Robert Hanssen was arrested for having spied for Soviet and Russian intelligence agencies over a 22-year period. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hanssen
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
artisanal: 1. Of or pertaining to artisans or the work of artisans. 2. Involving skilled work, with comparatively little reliance on machinery. 3. (of an item, especially a foodstuff) Made by an artisan (skilled worker). https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/artisanal
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Life is not a goal; it is also an instrument, like death, like beauty, like virtue, like knowledge. Whose instrument? Of that God who fights for freedom. We are all one, we are all an imperiled essence. --Nikos Kazantzakis https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nikos_Kazantzakis