White-tailed eagles reintroduced in England are eating prey such as cuttlefish and rabbits – and there are “no conflicts” with livestock farming, experts say.
A study involving hundreds of hours watching white-tailed eagles released on the Isle of Wight, in a project by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, has revealed what they are eating and how they are getting it.
It shows the eagles – nicknamed flying barn doors because of their wingspan of up to 8ft (2.4m) – are targeting other birds, as well as fish including grey mullet, and cuttlefish which are “super abundant” in the summer months.
They also eat mammals, mainly rabbits and hares, and feed on carrion and through “piracy” – stealing catches from other smaller birds such as marsh harriers, the research led by Stephen Egerton-Read, Forestry England’s white-tailed eagle project officer, shows.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
A study involving hundreds of hours watching white-tailed eagles released on the Isle of Wight, in a project by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, has revealed what they are eating and how they are getting it.
It shows the eagles – nicknamed flying barn doors because of their wingspan of up to 8ft (2.4m) – are targeting other birds, as well as fish including grey mullet, and cuttlefish which are “super abundant” in the summer months.
They also eat mammals, mainly rabbits and hares, and feed on carrion and through “piracy” – stealing catches from other smaller birds such as marsh harriers, the research led by Stephen Egerton-Read, Forestry England’s white-tailed eagle project officer, shows.
The reintroduction project began in 2019 to bring back a long-lost species to the skies of southern England, where they were once widespread until the 18th century when persecution led to them being wiped out in the region.
Some 29 young birds, taken as chicks from wild nests in Scotland where the eagles have successfully been re-established, have been released on the Isle of Wight, which provides good habitat for the wetland and coast-loving species.
They used high-resolution data from the GPS devices worn by all the birds – including the chick from a pair that bred unusually early – to monitor in detail which trees they are using as hunting perches or areas they are foraging in.
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