Listen
Sea eagles have landed
20/06/2008
The UK's largest bird of prey, the white-tailed sea eagle, was given an official ministerial welcome to Scotland on today when up to twenty chicks arrived at Edinburgh Airport from nests in Norway.
Environment Minister Michael Russell welcomed the chicks - the second batch of the five year East Scotland Sea Eagles (ESSE) reintroduction project - before the birds were taken to specially built aviaries at a secret location in Fife.
ESSE is a partnership between RSPB Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and Forestry Commission Scotland to reintroduce sea eagles to Eastern Scotland, after the species disappeared from the UK in Victorian times due to human persecution.
Following successful reintroductions to the West coast of Scotland since the 1970's, the hope now is that this project can help restore sea eagles to their former range in the east. With an eight feet (2.4 metres) wing-span these birds are also known by the nickname 'the flying barn door' and are even bigger than golden eagles.
Environment Minister Michael Russell said:
"The sea eagle is truly a magnificent bird and is one of the cornerstones of Scotland's species reintroduction program. As well as enhancing Scotland's biodiversity, the eagles on Mull have proven to be a significant tourist attraction.
"Having already visited them in Norway, I am very proud to welcome these chicks to Scotland and look forward to seeing them flourish in the wild. Like everyone else, I also hope to hear of them breeding in the next few years. I am confident that we soon look back and find it strange that we ever did without these incredible birds."
Claire Smith, RSPB Scotland sea eagle project officer said:
"There's no better sight than seeing these giants of the sky soaring overhead. Last year's chicks had a really great year, with over 700 sightings by the public all over Eastern Scotland; one even made it over to Skye and Mull.
"People are really proud when they see them and I'm sure that as the project moves on, these spectacular birds will become an increasingly common sight all over Scotland just as they should be. I'm excited to see where the next lot go and when they first encounter last year's!"
Professor Colin Galbraith, director of policy and advice at SNH said:
"The sea eagle is an important part of Scotland's biodiversity. SNH has believed, since we began the original west coast recovery programme, that this bird should be restored to its rightful place throughout Scotland.
"As a Species Action Framework species the sea eagle is an important indicator of wider environmental health and is an iconic bird of which people in Scotland can be proud. These chicks will help in the ongoing project of restoring what was lost to all of us."
Moira Baptie, Environment Manager for Forestry Commission Scotland said:
"Scotland's forests and woodlands are an oasis for iconic species. Our forests are a fantastic natural asset and rich in biodiversity, so it is fitting that the sea eagles are being re-introduced to them. We hope that the sea eagles will become a more common sight for Scottish people and visitors alike."
Fifteen birds were released in 2007, which was the first year of ESSE. Of these 11 are left - 7 males and 4 females. Two were electrocuted, one disappeared in the Angus Glens and one died of unknown causes.
They've been doing what immature sea eagles do - explore. Often hanging around in pairs, they've spent the last year exploring the coast, straths, glens and firths. They have been eating carrion, rabbits, geese, gulls, heron & a swan. Most recent confirmed locations are: 2 birds in Fife, 1 in Lothian, 2 at Loch Tay, 1 on Mull, 1 on Skye, 1 near loch of Lowes, 1 near Blair Gowrie, 2 west of Perth. It helps greatly if the public report sightings of Sea eagles in the East by emailing eastscotlandseaeagles@rspb.org.uk
There are around 200 sea eagles in Scotland, including approximately 42 breeding pairs. However, their range is still generally confined to the West Coast.
ESSE is the third phase of the Scottish sea eagle re-introduction which began on Rum (owned by the Nature Conservancy Council, now Scottish Natural Heritage) in 1975. Over the next ten years to 1985, a total of 82 eaglets (39 males and 43 females) were imported, under special licence, from nests in northern Norway where the sea eagle population was still expanding. The first wild bred chicks since extinction were born on Mull in 1985. The second phase saw a further 58 birds released in Wester Ross between 1993 and 1998.