White-Tailed Eagle Spotted in Saudi Arabia for First Time in 20 Years

A juvenile white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) has been documented at the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve, marking the first confirmed sighting of the species in Saudi Arabia in more than two decades. The bird was spotted at Wadi Thalbah wetlands in the reserve’s northwest region.

The white-tailed eagle is among the world’s largest eagle species, with a wingspan of up to 240 centimetres and a weight of up to 5.5 kilograms. Adults have pale heads, yellow bills and a wedge-shaped white tail, while the individual seen at the reserve was identified as a juvenile by its darker plumage.

The reserve, covering some 24,500 km² and housing 15 distinct ecosystems, lies at the convergence of two major migratory flyways. Researchers have documented 247 bird species within its boundaries, representing 49% of all bird species recorded nationwide, including seven global range extensions.

Since 2021, six multi-season biodiversity studies have been conducted with experts from Saudi Arabia and five other countries, recording five species new to science, three species previously unrecorded in Saudi Arabia, and 34 global range extensions across various taxonomic groups.