News

Another Record Breaking Year for Sea Eagles

Scotland's breeding population of sea eagles has attained two landmark records this year - with the highest number of breeding pairs and more young successfully fledged that at any time in the reintroduction programme's history.
 
Figures from the 2009 survey show there are now 46 territorial breeding pairs of the UK's biggest raptor, an increase of two pairs since 2008 - with one new pair setting up a territory on Lewis and one in Lochaber. It has also been the most successful year in terms of chicks produced, with 24 successful broods fledging a total of 36 chicks.  Experts at RSPB Scotland also believe this number is higher than at any time in the past 150 years, and more than were fledged in the first ten years combined that sea eagles bred following reintroduction.  There are now over 200 individual sea eagles in Scotland.
 
Five of this year's chicks have been fitted with satellite tags, and several of these are starting to make exploratory flights away from the immediate nest site areas. The progress of two of these chicks on Mull can be followed via RSPB's wesite at www.rspb.org.uk/mulleagletracking
 
Tourists and wildlife watchers now have their best ever chance of witnessing these spectacular and inspiring birds, often referred to as "flying barn doors" due to their huge eight foot wingspan.  The birds help the Scottish economy too; Mull's sea eagles have become a firmly established tourist magnet, pulling in thousands of wildlife enthusiasts who boost the island's economy by up to £2m million annually, according to a recent economic survey.
 
The on-going monitoring of white-tailed eagles, as they are also known, is conducted by the Sea Eagle Project Team, which includes RSPB Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, and Forestry Commission Scotland.
 

Provided by RSPB Scotland - part of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the UK charity that speaks out for birds and wildlife, tackling the problems that threaten our environment.