The largest bird of prey in the UK is back. The white-tailed Eagle has been seen in England again after 240 years. It has a wingspan of 2.5 meters and a black-ridged tail. It has gold eyes and yellow talons, legs, and beak.
White-tailed eagles are usually found in dense, populated areas. They are considered generalist predators, capable of spending "a great deal of time perched in high places before suddenly flying to great heights," according to the Daily Mail.
They are known to sit and wait for their prey, watching them from a distance before swooping in. The Independent says watching their prey rather than fly great distances" saves valuable energy."
Eagles of a feather flock together
The Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and Forestry England released six white-tailed eagles in the Isle of Wight in the summer of 2019. It was part of their five-year introductory program" to restore the species to southern England," reported by the Independent.
The birds are not expected to breed until 2024 - "the last known breeding pair in England were recorded at Culver Cliff on the Isle of Wight in 1780," BBC said.
The researchers attached Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) trackers to the birds, which helped them understand more about the behavior of the eagles.
They discovered the eagles choose to fly on "days with the best conditions to make their big moves, preferring a tailwind and clear skies, according to the Independent.
Sedentary during winter, the birds flew to "Somerset, Kent and Norfolk, with two birds - known as G318 and G393 - flying as far north as Yorkshire," once the skies cleared, according to the Daily Mail.
Spreading their wings
G274, a male eagle , "made a four-day 427 km trip along South-West England before returning to the island," according to BBC.
On the other hand, G318, a female eagle, settled in the North York Moors, while G324 is still on the Isle of Wight. The Independent reported G324, a female eagle, has bonded with G274 during winter.
Despite being the most sedentary eagle, the Independent said G324 flew with paragliders and G274 over west Wight.
Unfortunately, the BBC said one of the eagles died in October while another one is still missing.
White-tailed eagles have a diverse diet. In spring and summer, they will target fish while later in the year, they will opt for water birds. Rabbits and hares are also their go-to for the better part of the year.
Due to this unprecedented sighting in Europe, everyone is invited "to take photographs or record sightings" of the white-tailed eagle, said the Daily Mail.
They can report it online to the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation below if they spot one: https://www.roydennis.org/report-white-tailed-eagle-sighting.
