Sea Eagle Fun Facts
- Massive Wingspan: Norwegian Sea Eagles have an impressive wingspan of up to 2.5 meters (8.2 feet), making them one of the largest birds of prey in Europe.
- Distinctive Tail Feathers: Their name comes from their signature white tail feathers, which stand out against their dark body, especially when they spread their wings.
- Top of the Food Chain: Sea eagles are apex predators. Their diet primarily consists of fish, but they will also hunt birds, small mammals, or scavenge carrion when needed.
- Keen Eyesight: These eagles have exceptional vision, capable of spotting fish from a great distance, even when flying high above the water.
- Strong and Silent Flyers: They are known for their powerful, silent flight. Their large wings allow them to soar with minimal flapping, conserving energy during long-distance travels.
- Impressive Hunters: Sea eagles are expert hunters. They dive into the water with their strong talons to grab fish. They can even steal food from other birds or scavenge from seals and other marine life.
- Lifespan: In the wild, they can live up to 25 years, but in captivity, some have been known to live over 30 years.
- Reintroduction Success: The Norwegian Sea Eagle population was once in decline due to hunting and habitat loss, but conservation efforts, such as reintroduction programs, have helped their numbers rebound.
- Imposing Nests: They build massive nests, often in tall trees or cliffs near the coastline. These nests can be over 2 meters (6.5 feet) wide and reused for many years.
- Mating for Life: Once a pair of sea eagles forms a bond, they typically stay together for life, often raising several generations of offspring together in the same area
Young Norwegian Girl stolen from her home by Sea Eagle.
On the afternoon of June 5, 1932, a strange and terrifying event unfolded in the small municipality of Leka, Norway. Young Svanhild Hansen, said to be three years old, was happily playing near her parents’ farm when, within just ten minutes of being left alone, she vanished without a trace. It was as though she had disappeared into the sky. Panic set in as her parents searched frantically for her, only to find a few scattered items: one of her shoes and handkerchief abandoned in the grass. Long before things like an Amber Alert, the village of over 200 locals set out to find the girl, but there was no sign of her.
As hours passed and hopes waned, some searchers recalled seeing a sea eagle acting unusually around Hagafjellet mountain. With this in mind, three brave men climbed the mountain, hoping to find a clue to explain the girl’s disappearance. It was Jentoft Svendsen who, by sheer chance, found the child—fast asleep on a narrow mountain ledge, unharmed except for a few minor scratches.
Svanhild was carefully carried down to safety, but the mystery of her disappearance remained unsolved. Her account of what had happened sounded almost unbelievable. She described how a giant bird—later identified as a White-tailed Eagle—had swooped down and grabbed her by the back of her dress, carrying her up into the sky. This was an extraordinary claim, and at first, Dr. Fossum, the doctor who examined Svanhild, was skeptical. But as he considered the facts, he was left questioning his assumptions. If the girl had traveled on foot, she would have had to cross steep, rugged terrain, covering 1,700 feet of distance and climbing 180 feet.
A month of investigating the case eventually declared the story to be entirely credible.
Dr. Fossum weighed Svanhild and found her approximately 19 kg (about 42 lbs). While this weight seemed too much for a sea eagle to carry—given that they typically handle 2-3 kg (4-6 lbs) of weight—some sources suggest the girl’s weight might have been closer to 10-12 kg, making it a bit more plausible. Despite these uncertainties, zoologist Hartvig Huitfeldt-Kaas spent a month investigating the case and eventually declared the story to be entirely credible.
Skeptics, however, argued that the terrain Svanhild would have crossed wasn’t too rugged for a child her age. Given that most of the sources are in Norwegian, this point remains unclear. What remains undeniable is that Svanhild’s tale was extraordinary and impossible to ignore.
As the years passed, Svanhild’s memories of the event faded. By the time she reached her thirties, she claimed she had no recollection of what had happened that day. Some believed her forgetfulness was a way to escape the constant public attention, while others thought something more mysterious might be at play. Despite this, Svanhild went on to live a long life, passing away in 2010 at 81.