White-tailed Eagles, also called sea eagles, were extinct in Scotland and the rest of the UK by the early 20th Century because of persecution and habitat loss. They were reintroduced in Scotland starting in 1975 and reintroductions have recently been carried out in England. They are the UK’s largest bird of prey, sometimes described as a “flying barn door”. White-tailed Eagles mainly eat fish, geese, seabirds and scavenged carcasses from the shoreline, such as dead seals.
White-tailed Eagles are on the Scottish Biodiversity List.
Photos: Les Carter and Ben Andrew for rspb-images.com
Action Needed
White-tailed Eagles need to be safe from persecution, which means we need to ensure that the Wildlife Management and Muirburn Act grouse moor licensing scheme continues in operation and that enforcement of the licensing conditions provides a deterrent to persecution.
Landscape-scale planning of where onshore wind turbines can be best located to minimise collision risk with White-tailed Eagles and Golden Eagles is needed. This could be done through Regional Land Use Partnerships or through some other mechanism.
Threats
In much of Europe and some parts of Scotland, White-tailed Eagles live in close association with humans. However, persecution continues to be a concern in Scotland, along with collisions with onshore wind turbines.
MSP Nature Champion
Mark Ruskell
Member for: Mid Scotland and Fife
Region: Mid Scotland and Fife
Party: Scottish Green Party
