The White-tailed Eagle is Iceland's largest bird. It is a rare bird with well under 100 pairs in the country and has been endangered for decades although the numbers are slowly rising. The Eagle used to breed all around the country but the farmers who thought the Eagles preyed on their livestock killed them ruthlessly until by the turn of the century they were in danger of extermination. In 1913, when there were only a handful of the Eagles left in the West Fjords, they were protected by law and since then the population has risen slightly. This year (1999) was very good for the Eagles with some 26 chicks believed to have survived. The Eagles are very sensitive to disturbance and it isn't allowed to approach their nests. It is however not too difficult to spot them especially in the West Fjords and around Breidafjördur where most of the population is.
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