Ireland

White-tailed sea eagle chicks to take flight in Killarney National Park

Four young birds were brought from Norway and have been acclimatising in Kerry before their release in a reintroduction programme

White-tailed sea eagles are fitted with satellite tags at a site in Kerry so they can be monitored daily. Photograph: Chris Maddaloni
Anne Lucey
Tue Aug 06 2024 - 11:27

Four white-tailed sea eagles, the first of this year’s batch of 27 brought from Norway, will be released later on Tuesday from their aviary deep in the Killarney National Park as part of a reintroduction programme.

Flown into Farranfore at the end of June, the chicks from Trondheim are aged between eight and 11 weeks and have been acclimatising and growing their flight feathers in their pen in the national park.

Others are being held in Lough Corrib, and nine eagles are being kept and fed on the Shannon estuary. These will be released in the coming weeks.

The reintroduction of the white-tailed sea eagle, the largest of the Irish birds of prey, began in 2007 when 10 eagle chicks were brought in as part of a five-year programme based in Killarney. In all, 100 were released under that first phase. The new and current phase began in 2020 and involves a wider number of sites.

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All of the chicks are fitted with satellite tags so that their movements can be tracked as they disperse and establish in new areas.

Monitoring and tracking of the birds indicates they are nesting and breeding in various locations around Ireland, Dr Philip Buckley of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said.

The chicks are vulnerable to external factors such as adverse weather, avian influenza and disease, as well as illegal poisonings and shootings.

White-tailed sea eagles, some weighing as much as 6kg, are fitted with satellite tags at a site in Kerry so they can be monitored. The White-tailed Sea Eagle reintroduction project is a joint initiative between the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Golden Eagle Trust in collaboration with the NorskInstitutt for Naturforskning and the Norwegian Ornithological Society. Photograph: Chris Maddaloni

However, the initial cfrom the farming community towards the large birds of prey – their wing span is 8ft – has eased and the eagles are now largely welcomed. They feed on carrion as well as fish, and locally there have been no reports of live lambs being taken

Niall Ó Donnchú, director general with the NPWS, said the eagle-reintroduction programme “really is a flagship initiative for NPWS, as it reflects so many elements of our conservation work – time and care, using science and best practice, combined with strong community engagement and partnership”.

Killarney National Park is ideal for nesting with its ”old, tall oak and pine trees, quiet surroundings and an ample supply of fish available in the lakes for their survival”, said Eamon Meskell, divisional manager, NPWS, Killarney National Park

None of the introduced eagles has sought to return to their native Norway, as they are not migratory birds.

The year 2024 has been a good one for eagles in Ireland as there are now some 15 breeding pairs – the largest number on record – and a dozen have produced young.