12 white-tailed eagles released on the south coast

An ambitious project to re-establish a breeding population of white-tailed eagles on the south coast of England has moved a step closer to its goal with the release of 12 more juvenile white-tailed eagles on the Isle of Wight.

The scheme, which began in 2019, is being run by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation. It has already seen 13 birds released, of which ten have survived. Up to 60 birds are planned to be released in total, with the aim that six to eight pairs will start breeding within three years.

Roy Dennis, founder of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, says: “We are now three years into this reintroduction project and it is extremely encouraging to see just how successfully white-tailed eagles are settling into the English landscape.”

White-tailed eagles were once a common sight along the south coast of England until they were wiped out more than 200 years ago. Public support for the project has been high with 76% of local people surveyed supporting the reintroduction of the birds to the area.

Main image: A white-tailed eagle flying over water on Isle Of Mull. © Keith Wood/EyeEm/Getty Images