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The mute swan family of 8 members gathers tightly well in time already when they notice the white-tailed eagle at a distance.

 

Open conflicts between these, the biggest aquatic and terrestrial birds in Estonia, do not happen very often; besides, mute swans weigh a couple of times more than the eagle. But precaution must be maintained, and the slightly more than a quarter of a year old swan youngsters must learn how to behave. The swan family keeps together until the breeding period of the adult birds in next spring.

 

In late winter white-tailed eagles patrol along the ice boundary at the shore looking for diseased or old individuals weakened by winter who will not offer enough resistance: the eagles try to attack those.