Andrew Chick Ecology

Plans to bring white-tailed eagles back to Cumbria have been put to the public.

The eagles were once widespread across Cumbria but were persecuted to extinction, with the last recorded breeding attempt near Haweswater in 1787.

The Lifescape Project believes the birds have an “intrinsic right” to be in the county after successful reintroduction programmes in Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Wight.

See the BBC article at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czj9py4lp99o

White-tailed sea eagle images by Andrew P. Chick

The white-tailed sea eagle, the UK’s largest bird of prey, has been successfully reintroduced to several areas of the UK after being driven to extinction due to human persecution. This species, also known as the sea eagle, was reintroduced to Scotland starting in the 1970s and later to England, where the Isle of Wight project began in 2019. The project aims to release up to 60 birds to restore them to southern England’s ecosystems after a 240-year absence. These eagles are now thriving, with satellite tracking showing them roaming across large parts of the UK, including Scotland and England.

Despite their successful reintroduction, sea eagles still face threats, especially from illegal persecution such as poisoning, which remains an issue in parts of the UK. However, their population is growing steadily, and they are now protected under UK law. The public can spot these impressive birds along coastal areas, estuaries, and sometimes even inland.

My first question would be…. Is this a vanity project or is it backed up by good science?

Is this really a good idea for Cumbria? I know when I head out onto the fells for a days walking, I consider if I really need to take my binoculars? If the only birds I’m going to see in the next four hours will be Meadow Pipits and a pair of Ravens is it worth carrying them! There’s a lot of work needed to fix the fells, and a pair of eagles isn’t going to magically repair a whole ecosystem….

Having lost Golden Eagle more recently, shouldn’t we be looking to improve the available habitat and prey items for Golden Eagles before thinking about White-tailed Eagles…..

Do Golden Eagles and White Tailed Sea Eagles compete with each other… and in a landscape flooded with recreational disturbance will this ever work!

Both Golden and White Tailed are IUCN listed as least concern.
Golden Eagle is UK Green list, where White Tailed is UK Amber list… is it all about conservation status of either species based on the above, and there are higher priorities for resource from that perspective.

Or is it all about a ‘flagship species’ / ambassador birds grabbing the news headlines and is this a good thing? Are eagles more important than other species? Is it all about good news stories…. Does anyone care about the fate of the rapidly disappearing Willow Tits which doesn’t quite make the same headline impact….

Finally, it isn’t beyond the realms of possibilities that both species might make their way back to Cumbria unaided, so why not spend the money elsewhere and just let the eagles do their own thing…. 😉