Golden eagles could be reintroduced to England after more than 150 years | Birds
“The world has become so bad that wrens hunt where eagles dare not land.” So wrote Shakespeare in Richard III, a series of social commentary that becomes more relevant with age.
So, in a world with so much evil, it was good news that the eagles the Bard was probably talking about could finally be reintroduced to England after over 150 years.
The golden eagle, common in Shakespearean England and mentioned more than 40 times by some scholars, has been largely absent from the country’s skies, with only a few pairs remaining in the last 150 years.
The majestic bird of prey, which has a wingspan of 2 metres, is effectively extinct in the UK, with the last native golden eagle thought to have died out in 2015 because it lived alone in the Lake District. Their decline was largely due to centuries of persecution by hunters and farmers who saw them as a threat to lambs and game birds.
They are also occasionally seen in areas such as Northumberland, passing through Southern Scotland, where bird populations are increasing. But a study published by Forestry England on Sunday found that England now has the capacity to sustain golden eagle populations once again.
The paper identified eight potential “recovery sites”, mostly in the north of England, as the most suitable areas; however, it may take more than a decade for breeding populations to establish in the area.
In response to the research, Environment Minister Emma Reynolds approved £1 million in additional species recovery funding to help pave the way for a program that could see six- to eight-week-old pups being released as early as next year.
Reynolds said: “This government is committed to protecting and restoring our most threatened native wildlife, and this includes bringing back iconic species such as the golden eagle.
“Backed by £1 million of government funding, we will work with partners and communities to make the golden eagle a feature of the British landscape once again.”
In southern Scotland, golden eagle populations have reached record numbers due to a major project to restore populations in the region. The government said satellite tracking showed some of these displaced birds were starting to cross the border and explore northern England.
It is hoped that the new funding will help establish these birds south of the border and facilitate targeted reintroductions. Forestry England has found that Scottish birds could be seen in northern England within 10 years, but golden eagle breeding will take longer to become established in England.
Mike Seddon, UK Forestry CEO, said: “The detailed findings of our feasibility study will guide us in taking the next steps to investigate the recovery of golden eagles in northern England, together with our partners Restoring Upland Nature.
“This [Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)] “The funding means we can build on the good work we have started by taking the time to build support and engage with local communities, landowners, land managers and conservation organisations.”
The funding comes as part of Defra’s £60 million breed recovery fund announced last week. This ties in with work aimed at meeting the UK’s legally binding target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030 and reduce the risk of species extinction to 2022 levels by 2042.
