WHITE-TAILED eagles taken from the wild in Scotland and the first to be reintroduced to England have taken to the sky over the Isle of Wight, conservationists have said.
The huge birds of prey, nicknamed “flying barn doors” because of their 8ft (2.4m) wing span, were once widespread across southern Britain until the 18th century, when persecution led to them being wiped out in the region.
Also known as sea eagle, the birds were collected under licence from nests in the wild in Scotland, where white tailed eagles were first reintroduced in the 1970s, and taken to the Isle of Wight.
The six young birds were then fed and monitored before being successfully released as part of a five-year programme by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation to bring the species back to England.
It is the first time the birds have taken to the skies of southern England for 240 years, the experts said.
The Isle of Wight was chosen as a location to reintroduce the birds, s, as it provides good habitat for the coastal-loving creatures, the experts said.
Areas where cliff edges have slipped will provide quiet refuges, the network of cliffs and woodland will be good places to nest, and the Solent and surrounding estuaries will give them a good supply of fish and water birds to eat. It is hoped the return of the birds will make a contribution to the local economy as a similar scheme on the Isle of Mull was found to contribute up to £5 million a year from ecotourism.
Reintroductions of white-tailed eagles have faced controversy amid concerns that they could prey on lambs, but experts have said there was no evidence of this being a problem where they live alongside lowland sheep farming in Europe.
Bruce Rothnie, Forestry England’s south district forest management director, said: “The diversity of our wildlife is under real pressure, with many species now in long-term decline. The nation’s forests provide an important habitat for wildlife and are playing a critical role in supporting the successful re-establishment of many lost or threatened species.”
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