White tailed eagles

White tailed eagle in flight

The white tailed eagles or sea eagle is the UK’s largest bird of prey, with a huge wingspan of up to 2 and a half metres. It was once widespread across the UK, and formerly bred on the Exmoor coast, but was persecuted to extinction across the country. Since the 1950s, conservation efforts have attempted to restore the species to its former range and, following successful releases in Scotland (1975) and Ireland (2007), their numbers are beginning to increase. From 2019 onwards there’s been a white tailed eagle project based on the Isle of Wight, run by Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and Forestry England, under licence from Natural England and NatureScot. The birds released there are fitted with satellite tags to enable the team to follow their movements. This has shown that Exmoor has become a White-tailed Eagle hot spot, with 14 birds visiting since 2019.

To support the existing population of these incredible birds, Natural England has approved the licence for a small release of white tailed eagles in Exmoor National Park. Forestry England and Roy Deniis Wildlife Foundation are working with Exmoor National park Authority (ENPA) to achieve this. The hope is that these birds will boost the emerging population of white-tailed eagles along the south coast of England.

Why the need to release more if a few are here anyway?

Despite their exploration when juvenile, sea eagles return to where they fledged to breed so we would need to release a small number of the birds here, to result in even two breeding pairs (due to natural mortality in the wild).

What has happened so far?

We've been holding information events and 1:1 visits with landowners and organisations across the National Park, particularly focussing on the areas where the eagles are already choosing to spend time. For more drop in days and raptor talks keep an eye on our social media or our events page

A public perception survey gathered feedback over three months, from residents and those who work on Exmoor: including people in the farming and shooting industry, wildlife enthusiasts and visitors to the National Park. The public survey showed that 80 per cent of those responding were in favour of the project.  All the results, comments and concerns raised from the survey, have been submitted to Natural England, along with data and evidence collated from the sea Eagle eintroduction project on the Isle of Wight over the last seven years, plus the results from ongoing engagement with local stakeholders such as the Exmoor Hill Farming Network, representatives of the National Farmers Union and Nation Sheep Farmers Association.

You can find out more about how Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation work with famers and landowners with a steering group and robust reporting process here. A similar process, will remain in place on Exmoor, with precise satellite tracking for any birds released.

As part of its role, the Exmoor based steering group will: Receive regular updates on the progress of the project from the project team, share information, experience and advice, monitor and evaluate the progress of the project. We will shortly be contacting a wide range of organisations including environmental, farming, fishing groups and land managers to invite them to join the steering group.

Read the latest on white tailed eagles here

  • Eagle and Exmoor pony

    Where can you spot them?

    White-tailed eagles prefer wetland habitats, such as estuaries and coastlines, but they can also be sighted in quiet areas away from water, particularly when they are young. You’ll have to look carefully though, tracking data has shown they like to spend 90 per cent of their time perched! Their wings are very broad and look more rectangular than those of a golden eagle, with fingered tips.  As the name suggests, they have a white tail with a distinctive wedge shape, but it’s ridged with black in young birds. The head and neck are pale, almost white in mature birds, although the young eagles are dark brown and don’t attain full adult plumage until 4-5 years of age. They have a hooked yellow beak, yellow legs and talons and piercing golden eyes.

    Photo Copyright: Sara Hudston
  • White-Tailed Eagle catching fish

    What do they eat?

    White-tailed eagles favour fish, but take a variety of other prey including birds, such as corvids, small mammals and carrion (dead animals). For young eagles, carrion will make up a large proportion of their diet, but by their third year they gravitate towards wetland sites and become adept at catching fish. They are opportunistic and will often steal food from other predatory birds. The diet of the white-tailed eagles released on the Isle of Wight has been studied in detail since 2019, which has shown they love seasonally abundant marine fish, such as grey mullet. They also predate gulls, carrion crows and other corvids, with younger eagles often feeding on small mammals like rabbits in inland areas. Find out more in the video below...

    Other photo copyright: J Leeming and Forestry England
  • White Tailed Eagle

    Reproduction

    Eyries, the special name for a bird of prey’s nest, are built in the mature trees and cliff ledges, made from sticks. They can become huge structures, more than 2 metres wide and deep.  1-3 eggs are laid in late March-early April and incubated for 38-40 days, predominantly by the female.  For the first three weeks after hatching the male does all of the hunting and after that time both adults provide for the young.  The young fledge after 11 weeks and remain reliant on their parents for 6 weeks or more.  Young white-tailed eagles often roam widely in their first few years of life, before returning close to their natal area to establish a breeding territory.  They can live to over 20 years of age.
  • White-Tailed Eagle and other birds

    Could they prey on young livestock?

    We are aware of and understand concerns amongst the farming community about predation of livestock, following media reports from North West Scotland. Sea Eagles do eat lamb as carrion, but it is not common for them to take live lambs.
    There is not the same monitoring of eagles via satellite in Scotland that happens on the Isle of Wight. The Scottish Government have a White-tailed Eagle management plan in place, where grants might be available to farmers to support wider sheep husbandry with any confirmed proof of predation.
    There are no verfified cases of livestock predation in England since the Isle of Wight project began in 2019 or elsewhere in Europe such as Poland or Ireland.

Video - What do White-tailed Eagles Eat?

Video - The return of white-tailed eagles to England

More FAQs

Find lots more information on White-tailed Eagles and how we propose to work with the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and Forestry England to help to reinforce the population in Southern England here

Spotted a White-tailed Eagle on Exmoor? Tell Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation about it here 

or for more on the project email seaeagles@roydennis.org