Reintroduction of white-tailed eagle to southern England as a breeding species after an absence of 240 years
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- Monitoring points:
- Species observations:
Test project
No
Project summary
The last pair English pair bred on the Isle of Wight in 1780, and they were extinct in Scotland by 1918 (Love 2006). The species has since been re-established in Scotland by a series of reintroductions using Norwegian birds, beginning on Fair Isle in 1968 (Whitfield et al 2009) and the population now stands at approximately 140 breeding pairs. This project had the aim to restore and reinforce white-tailed eagle in England.
Overall aim
A viable breeding population restored to southern England; The eagles become a flagship species for wetland and coastal conservation in the most densely populated region in the United Kingdom; Acceptance of the return of an apex predator that has been absent for more than two centuries following human persecution; Enhance meta-population connectivity between European populations of white-tailed eagle and those in Scotland and Ireland.
Name of species translocated
Haliaeetus albicilla
How many species?
1
Monitoring form type
Translocation generic records
Project timeline
The project started in 2019 where individuals were translocated from Scotland to the Isle of Wight. The monitoring showed that 77% of the individuals translocated survived after the translocation. In 2023, the first reproduction was recorded (1 egg). In total, 45 individuals were released until now. The project is still ongoing.
Funding body
Forestry England
Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation
Project team - organisational or group members
Stephen Egerton-Read, Leanne Sargeant and Tim Mackrill
Translocation aims
Species recovery (restoration to all or part of a species’ range)
Improving genetic diversity at recipient site
Additional outcome details
The project still on going
Country
England
Region or locality
Isle of Wight, Southern England
Species
Species benefits
Improved national status of species
Improved genetic diversity of species
Increased numbers of individuals in the wild
Scientific benefits
Improve translocation practice
Biological risk assessment
Distance of the translocation
Site