White-tailed eagle to make comeback in Ireland (1 Viewer)

White-tailed eagle to make comeback in Ireland

http://today.reuters.com/news/artic..._01_L04378230_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRELAND-EAGLES.xml

Thu Jan 4, 2007 8:22am ET

DUBLIN (Reuters) - A species of eagle that disappeared from Ireland more than 100 years ago could soon be soaring over the country once again if a five-year wildlife project is successful.

Experts plan to reintroduce the White-tailed Sea Eagle, one of the world's largest birds of prey, into a national park in the southwestern county of Kerry as part of the scheme.

Eagle chicks from Norway will be released into Killarney National Park this summer, Eamonn Meskell of Ireland's National Parks and Wildlife Service told Reuters on Thursday.

"The hope is that after about eight weeks the chicks will have fully fledged and will fly out to the coast and then, with luck, they'll start breeding after four to five years," he said.

"To get them breeding will be a major feat but we wouldn't be trying this unless we thought we had a chance."

Some 15 chicks will be brought into the region annually over the duration of the project.

Kerry's rugged Atlantic coastline is an ideal habitat for the eagle, which likes to feed on the carcases of dead seals and porpoises, Meskell said.

The bird, which died out in Ireland in the early 1900s due to egg collectors and trigger-happy gamekeepers, has a wing span of up to 2.5 metres (8 feet) and in neighboring Britain is confined mainly to the northwestern tip of Scotland.

In 2001, conservationists began reintroducing the Golden Eagle to County Donegal in northwestern Ireland -- nearly a century after hunters wiped out that species on the island -- and have released more than 40 birds to date.

White-tailed eagles to soar in County Kerry

Ulster TV web site: http://www.utvlive.com/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=79045&pt=n ry skies

THURSDAY 04/01/2007 11:15:03

White-tailed eagles to soar in County Kerry

Sea eagles could be flying over Ireland this summer after plans were announced today to re-introduce the huge birds of prey.

Following the success of the golden eagle project in Donegal, conservation experts are now being charged with bringing white-tailed sea eagles back to the mountains, lakes and valleys of Killarney National Park in County Kerry.

Sea eagles have been extinct in Ireland for more than 100 years. The first young birds will be sourced in Norway before being introduced in June and July.

White-tailed sea eagles are the fourth largest eagle in the world, growing to about 3ft (just under 1m) tall with a wingspan of up to 8ft (2.5m).

Using successful methods developed for other projects in Ireland and Scotland, the release phase will last for at least five years, with about 15 birds let into the park each year.

Environment Minister Dick Roche added:
"After 100 years, the white-tailed sea eagle is coming back to Kerry. The Norwegian authorities have approved the licence application for donor stock in principle and we are now finalising the collection details."

A team of experts from Norway visited the south west of Ireland late last year to find the most suitable area for re-introduction and reported that the peninsulas and deep bays of Kerry and west Cork would be best.

It is the second re-introduction scheme in Ireland and follows the successful golden eagle project in Donegal, now in its sixth year. They had been absent there since 1910 and four pairs are now nesting in the county, but no chicks have hatched.

There have been sightings of the birds as far away as north Antrim, Foxford, Co Mayo, and the Blue Stack Mountains in south Donegal.

Despite some initial reservations, the project has gone from strength to strength, with strong support of the local Gaeltacht community in Glenveagh National Park, farmers and tourism bodies.

The sea eagle project, endorsed by some of the foremost eagle experts in Europe, will see the birds of prey reared with a minimum of human contact and close monitoring taking place after release.

Mr Roche added that it was hoped the project would have a viable and long-term benefit for tourism in Kerry.

In Scotland, sea eagles attract thousands of visitors and have been shown to be worth up to €2 million annually to island of Mull.
A male white-tailed weighs some 9lb (4.1kg) while females tip the scales at 12lb (5.5kg).

Despite their size, power and being adept hunters, they scavenge much of their food, feeding on carrion - although they also hunt sea birds, fish swimming near the surface of the water and medium-sized mammals.

They construct large nests of branches and twigs in trees or on cliffs. The female lays an average of two eggs, which she incubates for about six weeks. The young flee the nest after 10 weeks.

Sea eagles are very large, broad-winged birds with a wedge-shaped tail. With mainly brown plumage the adult has a pale head and a white tail.

The head and beak are larger than a golden eagle and the eyes, beak and talons are bright yellow.

They are found across Europe and in parts of Asia. They were reintroduced to the Isle of Rum, Scotland, in 1975 and started breeding in 1985 before spreading to other areas.