White-bellied Sea Eagle ( Haliaeetus leucogaster, Accipitridae) also known as the white-breasted sea eagle, is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Originally described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788, it is closely related to Sanford’s sea eagle of the Solomon Islands, and the two are considered a superspecies. It is the second largest raptor (bird of prey) found in Australia. The largest is the Wedge-tailed Eagle, Aquila audax, which stands up to 1 m tall.
Despite its name, the sea-eagle is not confined to coastal areas, and the species is regularly recorded at terrestrial wetlands far from the sea, especially along larger inland rivers and at freshwater swamps and lakes.
This photograph was captured as the bird took off in flight and was a magnificent sight to behold!