ISLE of WIGHT
White Tailed Eagle Reintroduction
The project aims to restore a population of White-tailed Eagles to the South Coast of England, through the release of young White-tailed Eagles from Scotland at a confidential site on the Isle of Wight. The released birds will regard the area as home, and remain to breed in future years. White tailed Eagles have been successfully reintroduced to both Scotland and Ireland and we are using the same long-established methods on the Isle of Wight.
Project start
2019
Eagles released
45
Pairs breeding in england
2
Chicks fledged from breeding pairs in england in 2025
3
Image: Ainsley Bennet
Why the Isle of Wight?
The White-tailed Eagle formerly bred throughout the British Isles and through western and southern Europe, as well as in northern Europe. But widespread and persistent persecution by humans drove the species to extinction in England by the early nineteenth century, with the last southern English pair nesting on the Isle of Wight in 1780. In partnership with Forestry England, this project works to restore White-tailed Eagles to the Isle of Wight, and surrounding districts, through a multi-year reintroduction project.
After intensive fieldwork and research we chose the Isle of Wight as the optimum White tailed Eagle release site in southern England. Historically the species’ last nesting site in southern England was at Culver Cliff on the Island. White-tailed Eagle chicks are collected from nests in Scotland under special licence from Scottish Natural Heritage, and transported to the Isle of Wight. They will be reared in specially designed avian cages before being released as soon as they can fly under a Natural England license. Human contact throughout this period is kept to an absolute minimum. After release the young eagles are provided with additional food nearby the release pens as they develop independence, and are closely monitored in the field by project workers with the help of specially fitted satellite tags.
F.A.Q.
Frequently Asked Questions
White-tailed Eagles do not breed until they are 5-6 years old and have low breeding success. In addition most prefer to breed with or near established pairs, close to their natal site. This means that population increase and range expansion are very slow. Eagles could take decades, if not hundreds of years, to recolonise southern England naturally, but a reintroduction project would significantly speed up this process.
The project is estimated to cost approximately £250,000 over five years, plus the cost of appropriate satellite tracking equipment. Funding for the first two years has been secured from a private donor, and additional funds has been sourced from a range of different sources. To find out more about funding our work visit our support us page.
The White-tailed Eagle is a flagship species for wetland and coastal conservation. Restoring a population of these spectacular birds to the Isle of Wight and surrounding area will raise the profile of conservation among the general public and help to highlight important conservation issues affecting wetland, estuarine and coastal habitats and the species they support. As such it will benefit a range of other species both directly and indirectly. Furthermore funding for the project will be sought from a
range of different sources that will not conflict with existing or planned projects in the area. There is a huge amount of fantastic conservation work being undertaken on the island that is helping a range of
different habitats and species.
Young White-tailed Eagles wander widely before they breed, but most eventually settle close to their natal site. Research in Scotland revealed that juveniles often range up to 200 km away in their first two years, before returning to breed closer to their natal site (median natal dispersal (i.e. distance from nest/release site to first breeding location) 21–45 km in males and 47–58 km in females). In recent years birds thought to be from the expanding White-tailed Eagle populations in the Baltic have been seen in Hampshire and elsewhere along the South Coast. This included a juvenile that spent much of winter 2018/19 in and around the New Forest. Once they begin breeding adult birds have a much smaller home range, and are likely to remain sedentary throughout the year. Having been released on the Isle of Wight the young eagles will
regard this area as home, and eventually settle to breed on the Island or nearby, even if they do wander widely in the first two-three years after release.
Evidence from Scotland demonstrates that White-tailed Eagles pose no threat to Red Squirrels. They are not agile enough to catch Red Squirrels in wooded areas, and instead favour wide open spaces for hunting. In Scotland where White-tailed Eagles nest in forests with healthy populations of Red Squirrels there has been no evidence of them being brought to nests as prey despite extensive monitoring by volunteers and using camera traps. For example at one site monitored by Forestry
Commission Scotland many hundreds of hours of observations, over several years, were made by volunteers of a pair of White-tailed Eagles nesting in an east coast pine wood with a large population of Red Squirrels. They did not observe Red Squirrel being brought to the nest as a prey item. Likewise Red Squirrel did not feature as a prey item at another site where over 7000 camera-trap photos were taken at a White-tailed Eagle nest located in a forest with Red Squirrels.
It is possible, in fact, that there may be indirect benefits to the islands Red Squirrels, if White-tailed Eagles were to predate Buzzards.
The White-tailed Eagles preference for foraging along coastal waters and inland lakes means that they are unlikely to come into contact with gamebirds, but may occasionally scavenge dead pheasants lying in open surroundings.
No. There is no threat to pets and the birds do not pose any threat to people
As a generalist predator, White-tailed Eagles tend to favour the most seasonally abundant prey. This means that in spring and summer fish, rather than birds, are likely to form the key part of the diet. Furthermore evidence from other parts of Europe, such as the Danube Delta, where there are 20-25 breeding pairs, indicates that White-tailed Eagles have no impact on ground-nesting birds. Wildfowl are taken in preference to waders, as demonstrated by the fact that the eight most commonly caught bird species taken in the Danube Delta were ducks and geese, with Coot the most commonly taken species, followed by Mallard. The same is true in the Netherlands where wildfowl are the favoured
prey with goslings of Greylag and Canada Geese forming a key part of the diet in summer, along with Coot. Sea eagles tend to take injured and weak individuals.
White-tailed Eagles are likely to have minimal impact on fish stocks. They are likely to take the majority of their fish in shallow estuarine water, and will favour seasonally abundant species such as Grey Mullet. Furthermore their ability to exploit other prey such as birds and mammals means that fish populations will not be under threat.
Although in the UK White-tailed Eagles are synonymous with the west coast of Scotland, they breed close to people in many parts of lowland Europe, including in France, Netherlands and Germany. People greatly enjoying seeing their local eagles in these areas. A recent field visit to the
Netherlands by members of the project team showed the ability of the White-tailed Eagle, when it is not persecuted, to live in landscapes of farmland, villages, towns and even cities as long as there is
sufficient wild food and suitable nesting places in quieter areas. The distances of nest sites from busy activity in the Netherlands can be as little as 500 metres. This behaviour is similar in Germany and Poland.
The UK Government’s 25 year Environment Plan, published early in 2018, includes the reintroduction of White-tailed Eagles as a priority action. The White-tailed Eagle is also listed as a species of Conservation Concern in the UK. Regionally we think this will be regarded as an extremely exciting project and the future potential of watching adult White-tailed Eagles soaring over the cliffs of the Isle of Wight will be a dream for wildlife enthusiasts, the local community and visitors to the Island
Public support has been high. 85% of the people who completed a questionnaire at three public meetings held on the Isle of Wight in November were in favour of the project. A total of 1,962 people
completed the same questionnaire online between 2nd and 30th November, with 86% in favour, 10% against and 4% not sure. There was clear majority support from people across the local area. Respondent to the survey from the Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Dorset and Sussex – the counties where the reintroduced birds are most likely to settle and breed in the future – were 76% in favour of the project. The public consultation also involved extensive discussions with a range of different stakeholders, and we intend to maintain this approach throughout the project.
The Natural England licence permits the release of up to 60 birds. In Ireland 75% of released birds survived their first year and annual survival was 90% thereafter, while in Scotland around 37% of released juveniles
have reached breeding age (5 years). If the first birds are released, as planned, in 2019 breeding is not likely to occur until at least It is hoped that an initial population of 6-8 pairs will become established on the Isle
of Wight and in the wider Solent area, with birds spreading east and west along the South Coast thereafter. Evidence from Scotland indicates that the juvenile White-tailed Eagles may disperse and explore widely in their first two years in particular, but eventually settle to breed within 50 km of the release site. This indicates the released birds that survive to breeding age will most likely settle on the Isle of Wight or in the New Forest initially.
Eagle viewing points will be set-up in areas with good access to allow local people and tourists alike to observe the birds. Once they begin breeding watch points will also be established near any easily
viewable nests with good public access. Other sites in more sensitive areas will be kept strictly confidential in order to protect the birds and to ensure present land use and Island life is not disrupted by the additional footfall. This approach has been successful on the Isle of Mull where
eagle tourism makes a significant contribution to the local economy.
No. Although White-tailed Eagles do nest on cliffs, they will also breed in tall mature trees. In some areas of the world they even breed on the ground.
Evidence from Europe suggests that the Isle of Wight and wider Solent area could support a maximum of 6-8 pairs of nesting White-tailed Eagles. If the population reaches this level the birds will disperse to other sites along the South Coast.
During the public consultation concerns were raised by some that White-tailed Eagles may predate lambs or other livestock. We have been careful to listen to these concerns, to look at the scientific research around this issue, and to speak to people with direct experience. Evidence indicates that some White-tailed Eagles scavenge dead lambs in Scotland and very occasionally take small and weak individuals of blackface sheep on hill grazings. However this is predominantly due
to the open range nature of agriculture and bad weather as well as the lack of alternative wild prey in some biologically poor regions. In view of the concerns that had been raised, the project team visited the
Netherlands to speak with researchers monitoring the expanding Dutch White-tailed Eagle population. There White-tailed Eagles breed in areas grazed by sheep, but the researchers, who have kept detailed feeding
records, have recorded no cases of eagles taking lambs or any other livestock and there is no conflict with farming. There is an abundant supply of wild prey – particularly water birds and fish – in
the Netherlands and a similar scenario is likely on the Isle of Wight given the high prey availability in the Solent and surrounding areas. In Ireland, where there are now ten breeding pairs of White-tailed Eagles following a reintroduction project, there have been no cases of eagle predation on lambs and most farmers are either neutral or supportive of the project, despite initial concerns. A key responsibility of the project officer’s role is to liaise closely with the farming community from the outset, and respond to any local issues immediately should they occur. Representatives from the farming community, as well as other key local stakeholders – are members of the project’s steering group.
Evidence from the Netherlands indicates that disturbance to waterbirds birds by the White-tailed Eagles is similar to that caused
by Peregrines and Greater Black-backed Gulls, and waders and other species quickly get used to their presence. The eagles
spend most of the day perched, often within views of large numbers of waders and wildfowl. Recent research in Germany demonstrated that eagles prefer the “sit and-wait” for prey strategy, and as such are only on the wing for short periods each day. As explained above there have been concerns that the presence of White-tailed Eagles would increase pressure on several SPA sites in the Solent where recreational disturbance is an ongoing problem. However disturbance by White-tailed Eagles is not considered an issue by Dutch researchers at internationally important wetland sites such as Krammer-Volkerak. This SPA and
Nature 2000 site has a very similar species assemblage to the Solent, with large numbers of Dark bellied Brent Geese, Teal, Black-tailed Godwit and Ringed Plover all present along with resident
White-tailed Eagles. It is also important to consider that migratory species such as Brent Geese encounter White-tailed Eagles across their migratory range, and as such will be habituated to their presence. The breeding range of the two species overlaps in some parts of Arctic Russia and the migrating Brent Geese may encounter White-tailed Eagles at many sites on the flyway through the White Sea and Baltic Sea, and along the North Sea coast. In Denmark there has been a rapid increase in the population of breeding White-tailed Eagles in the
last 30 years, and there are now more than 100 breeding pairs, and also a large pool of non breeding sub-adults. The eagles favour offshore islands and islets for resting, where they potentially compete for space with breeding terns and gulls. However, there has been only one case on an island in Mariager Fjord in eastern Jutland where the increasing presence of eagles may have resulted in the eventual abandonment of a colony of Sandwich Terns. Biologists who monitor colonial
nesting species in Denmark are not aware of any other examples of colony desertion by gull and tern species due to eagle presence. In fact there are several island sites, which eagles frequent throughout the summer, which retain their breeding gull and tern colonies. Furthermore there is no evidence that White-tailed Eagles have had a negative impact on flocks of staging Dark-bellied Brent Geese in the Danish Wadden Sea in autumn.