Original subtitles

Eagles, dramatic predators

that have inspired myths and legends for millennia.

Though top of their food chain,

they battle for survival,

working tirelessly to raise their young.

Powerful, diverse, agile,

(dramatic music)

(birds squawking)

this is an Epic story of conquest for one individual.

But what does it take to become a ruler of the skies?

Nearly a meter long, one of the largest flying birds.

It takes two and a half meter wings

to get its six kilo body into the air.

The white-tailed sea eagle is a master of survival.

In bleak winter when food is in short supply,

it hunts wildfowl,

driving the Coots underwater until they tire.

(somber music)

There are 60 species of eagle.

They are among the largest and most impressive birds

united by their killing skills.

Soaring on huge broad wings,

scanning the landscape with eyes

some three and a half times more acute than our own.

They can swipe pray with enormous talons

and devour their victims with meat cleaver beaks.

(dramatic music)

But the white-tail is distracted by the calls of his mate.

Eagles pair for life

and every year this couple return to their nest.

They have built their home

in the cold Northern forests of Scandinavia.

Calling helps renew their bonds.

They may be together for 20 years or more.

(bird calling)

Mating is a delicate balancing act

that requires patience and trust from both parties,

but they won't be able to enjoy

this intimate moment for long.

One of their offspring from last year

is hoping to be welcomed home to the nest.

It'll be several years before the chocolate brown chick

will lighten and get its characteristic white tail.

The youngsters will often stay close to their birthplace

for their first few years.

The plaintive calls beg for a free meal,

but it's not going to work.

With the female pregnant,

they need to make some preparations.

It's March and still pretty cold around their wetland home.

The male eagle is searching, but he's not after food

or even the frozen drinking water.

He diligently gathers

the driest reeds and grasses he can find

and takes them back to the nest.

The huge platform, or aerie,

gets bigger each year with the home improvements.

The grass goes on the inside to create a bowl,

it's like papering the nursery for when the baby comes.

Blue tits appreciate his handiwork.

Smaller birds, often nest in the underside of the aerie.

As long as the eagles don't eat them,

they'll do a good job of keeping other predators at bay.

All eagles build enormous nests

and in the Amazon,

there is plenty of building material for harpy eagles,

providing they can break it from the trees.

They're impressive aeries can be a meter and a half across

and well over a meter deep.

It's a good platform, but it doesn't offer much shelter.

And the rainforest lives up to its name.

The eight long weeks of incubation

can be an uncomfortable period for the parents to be.

Over the years, the nests of sea eagles can become so huge

the trees have been known to collapse under their weight.

After a few weeks, the female lays two baseball sized eggs.

The grass bowl lining the nest

will form cups around the eggs, keeping them warm

and stopping the parents from squashing them.

Now begins the arduous period of incubation.

For over a month, both parents will take turns

tending to the clutch while the partner goes off to feed.

(water splashing)

See eagles are supreme hunters of fish,

but before long, even their fish catching skills

are being put to the test.

There are now two new mouths to feed.

Sea eagles eat around 500 grams of food a day

and it won't be long before the chicks are begging

for a similar portion.

The male returns to the nest

for his share of babysitting, relieving his larger mate.

Female eagles are always a kilo or so bigger than the males.

She performs her toilette away from the nest,

helping to keep the house clean.

He butches his latest catch into bite-sized chunks.

Back in the Amazon, the weather is finally brightening up.

Mother's able to dry off just in time

to welcome her new chick.

Harpies usually only brewed one of their eggs,

meaning only one will hatch.

The male does most of the hunting for the family.

She calls him in, her voice echoing across the forest.

The pair regularly swap roles to help share the burden.

Dad's brought dinner and a clawed hand reveals the victim,

a three-toed sloth.

Harpy eagles often snatch sloths, monkeys,

and other animals from the tree canopies.

Across the eagle family,

all manner of meals are brought to the nest

from ducks to deer,

but for our young white-tails, it's usually fish.

Eagles are fastidious in their cleaning,

both the nest and themselves, requiring constant attention.

To be able to hunt, they must maintain their feathers,

which are so dense and strong

that they make up 5% of the parent bird's weight.

With their chicks flourishing,

the parents almost seem to celebrate their success.

They need to be totally committed to the little ones

who will be dependent on their help

for the next five months.

(water splashing)

Another fish supper.

At five weeks old, they are starting to look a lot

like their parents, but already it's clear

that one youngster is getting all the food.

The parents work hard to try and provide for them both.

Eagles usually lay two or three eggs,

but in some species it's unusual for all to survive.

Often the largest and fittest

of the chicks will get the most food

and the runt will waste away.

The parent birds will fish throughout the day,

though only around 30% of tries would result in a meal.

(birds squawking)

Having favoritism seems cruel,

but ensures the parents can invest

all their energy in one offspring.

And that it's the one

with the best chances of a successful future.

But despite their best efforts,

by July, there is just one youngster in the nest.

It's possible the brother fell,

but most likely he was starved

or displaced by his larger sister.

When there is only one survivor, it's usually female.

Even at this age, she's the bigger sex.

Does this take the pressure off the parents

or just make their quest all the more important?

They can't afford to lose another chick.

She spotted a dead eel, easy pickings.

No eagle turns his nose up at a free meal.

While mum's fishing, dad delivers his catch of the day.

(birds squawking)

Sea eagles are real generalists,

the chick's big enough to swallow the young rat whole.

Summer is a productive time for the forest of Europe.

Long hours of sunlight result in an abundance of food.

As the season passes,

the young female goes from strength to strength,

having lost most of her infant down,

but today her parents seem less forthcoming with food.

They are trying to encourage their daughter

to start exploring her world.

(birds squawking)

The parents come and go, teasing their chick.

She seems agitated at their lack of parenting,

but her frustrations are their intention.

She suddenly seems to discover her wings.

The first steps of exploring are called branching,

branching out on the limbs of the tree.

For 12 weeks all she's known is the inside of the nest,

but that's about to change.

(uplifting music)

Sea eagles are often described as, "flying barn doors."

Her huge wings will take a while to master.

After a few days, her confidence grows

and she can start to explore further.

She feels ready for her first hunting trip.

She has a lot to learn.

Luckily, her parents will still offer food

for a few more weeks, plenty of time to practice.

With acute binocular vision,

eagles have amazing depth perception,

making them masters at snatching prey on the wing

and none more so than the African fishing eagle.

To perform such aerobatics,

their feathers need a great deal of maintenance.

Like all their family, the African fishing eagles

perform a duet to proclaim their lifelong devotion.

The young female still has a long way to go

to become a true queen of the sky.

(birds warbling)

But she has another attempt at self-sufficiency.

The first thing to catch her eye doesn't look too promising.

A dead fish, on the other hand,

is much more what she's accustomed to.

Rocks are useful tools for cleaning her beak.

Winter lies ahead, a tough time for all animals.

(birds squawking)

As summer draws to a close,

the wetlands are getting busy with migrating wildfowl.

This is the first time our female has seen ice.

Her parents are still around,

but are no longer offering free food.

There are other eagles too,

birds that have moved from Northern territories

to a more sheltered wintering spot.

Copying the adults examples,

she finds weaker patches in the ice

using four and a half centimeter claws

to expose drinking water.

It can also expose unexpected treasures,

but now, there are a lot of hungry neighbors.

This is her first taste of the competition she'll face.

Just because she found the dead fish,

doesn't mean she'll be able to eat it

unless she ups her game.

It's a free for all.

Even a red kite and heron seek the crumbs

that drop from the eagles table.

It's winter, when all animals are tested by the elements.

(birds squawking)

Many birds migrate to avoid the worst of winter

and some eagle populations do the same.

In Northeastern Russia,

the white-tails flea freezing inland valleys

and head for the coast, an eagle mecca.

But they are not alone,

the nine kilo Steller's sea eagle, the heaviest of all.

(somber music)

Several hundred will spend the winter on the ice flows.

At first, there seems to be an awkward tolerance

as the birds assemble.

The reason they have picked this spot

is that the chilly open waters around the ice flows

are teaming with fish.

For landlocked birds like ravens,

eagles unlock the desirable resource.

The Steller's and white-tailed

are closely related sea eagles

deploying the same tactic to secure a meal.

(dramatic music)

With freezing temperatures, the stakes are high

and every scrap is worth fighting for.

Among eagles, the Steller's characteristic beak

is the biggest.

But there is a third eagle here,

smaller than the sea eagles,

the golden has a fiery personality.

And while it's not such a confident fisher,

it enjoys a fish supper.

When the food is running low,

it seems everyone has their eye on the catch of the day.

And as snow starts to fall tensions rise.

(birds squalling)

It's like David and Goliath,

but the golden eagle isn't shy about stealing a meal.

He may only be two-thirds their weight, but he's a fighter.

Soon, claws and beaks are drawn all over the ice.

The eagles reserve their lethal beaks for feeding

and instead arm wrestle trying to pin each other down

with powerful talons,

throwing punches with their muscular wings.

All eagles are quite solitary for most of the year,

only hanging out with their partners and young,

but now the golden seem happy to feed together

giving the cold shoulder to the watchful sea eagles.

Despite the abundance of fish,

it's a long, tough winter for these Russian eagles.

They may be fighters,

but nature really will let only the fittest survive.

This youngster lost the fight.

But victims of winter can become banquets

for adaptable birds of prey.

A deer carcass has attracted the adult white-tails.

It's worth walking on thin ice.

But while her parents feed,

the young female is given the cold shoulder.

She needs the meal, but they are just not willing to share.

(birds squalling)

It's her huge mother who finally puts her foot down.

The message is clear, it's time to fly the nest.

Sea eagles rule the roost here

keeping other birds on their toes.

Pretty much any of the animals living here

could end up on the menu.

Though if there's carrion available,

it's a better energy saving alternative.

A fox is drawn by the carcass, but it's not welcomed.

It's injured and knows even a young sea eagle

could make a meal of him, better not stick around.

Out in the big wide world,

there are all kinds of strange neighbors to meet.

See eagles can kill birds as big as swans,

but for now she's more interested in scavenging.

She and the crane race for any fishy scraps.

She seems happy foraging alongside the crane,

but in Japan, her white-tailed cousins are happy

to snatch the food straight from their mouths.

Cranes are revered in many parts of the world

and in some areas of Japan,

farmers try to help them through the winter

by offering food,

something the eagles are quick to spot.

(birds squawking)

Badgering among birds of different species is common,

known as mobbing,

harassing until the victim gives up its food.

One of the adult white-tails has found carrion,

but it's not immune to the ravens mobbing

and this time a red kite wants a piece of the action.

Surprisingly, it seems spooked

by its lighter cousin's agility.

But yet another eagle has been watching the proceedings.

The lesser spotted eagle isn't much bigger than the kite,

but it has the family's fighting spirit.

Once he's got it,

he's not going to surrender it to the crows.

About half the size of the sea eagle

and perhaps more closely related to hawks, he's got guts,

meaning he doesn't mind standing his ground

or being scared off by lanky intruders.

Like all eagles, the lesser spotted is adaptable,

he'll scavenge, but hunt as well.

He uses his sharp eyesight to spot his prey,

but has an unusual technique to catch it.

His prey can be anything from rabbits to frogs.

This time, a lizard has caught his eye.

This species can soar and dive like the others,

but its also perfected the stalk and pounce.

Our young female has settled in some wetland

where she's finding food easy to scavenge

from around the shores.

The poolside is busy by late summer,

everyone wanting waterfront accommodation.

She's got a new eagle neighbor, a greater spotted.

Many young sea eagles will stay in one area

often with other non-breeding birds

for their first five years or so,

while others are known to settle far from their birthplace.

With so many sea eagles and the spotted,

it's too crowded for our female.

So she decides to move on again.

Eagles use large territories,

some moving widely with the seasons

and others staying local.

Sea eagles typically use 30 to 70 square kilometers,

though she might have to travel a while

to find a patch that isn't already taken.

As she travels, the colors of autumn disappear

as winter claims the land.

She spots some carrion that will help sustain her journey,

though, of course, with sharp-eyed birds around,

she's not the only one to notice.

Crows and magpies try to lay claim to the carcass,

but with their straight bills,

they are having trouble getting into the frozen body.

A buzzard joins the feast.

His tin opener beak is just what the magpies needed.

While they are happy for the buzzard to get things started,

the crows try to police the portions.

A second buzzard adds to the chaos.

They don't expect an eagle

to be passing over the usually quiet fields.

She's wary, eagles always approach a scene with caution.

After a brief pit stop, she continues her journey.

Her quest takes her into the mountains.

This is the realm of the golden eagle.

This one's taking advantage of a fox's misfortune.

Golden eagles are capable of hunting foxes

and even modest sized deer.

As well as the usual mob of crows,

it now has some bigger competition.

She has landed on her feet,

a good spot for any eagle to call home.

Craggy mountains and deep lakes teaming with fish

and only one other eagle in sight.

It's a young male a few years older than her

and already a skilled fisherman.

She seems impressed.

(somber music)

Winter firmly grips the landscape, but with experience,

the male isn't having any trouble finding food.

He's followed the noisy crows to a winter-killed deer.

The discovery of a carcass will see him through hard times.

The female has decided to stay in the mountains

and now is her chance to make an impression.

She boldly pushes in.

She's younger, but being female

already has a weight advantage.

She's taken a stand and secured her future.

Our female still has a few years

until she'll be ready to breed,

perhaps the male will stick around.

In a final act of defiance, she proves her worth,

not just as a powerful scavenger, but a hunter as well.

With strength, adaptability, and determination,

she's truly become a queen of the sky.

(somber music)