New study shows iconic golden eagle was once common throughout Wales

JULY 1, 2020

by Cardiff University

A new study has shown that golden and white-tailed eagles were widespread and common throughout historic Wales.

Scientists looked at their historical distribution as part of their bid to bring the species, which became regionally extinct in the early-1800s, back to the Welsh countryside.

During their research they gained fascinating insights by looking at archeological, fossil and observational records—and even Welsh place names.

The study also includes the earliest evidence of golden eagles existing in Wales in the Devensian period—the final glacial period in Britain—about 20,000 years ago.

Sophie-lee Williams, 28, who manages the Eagle Reintroduction Wales Project as part her Ph.D. at Cardiff University, said: "One of the first challenges for our project was to gather evidence of the past distribution of both eagle species to prove they were once historically native to Wales. In other parts of Britain there's a wealth of data—but in Wales there is a real lack of historical record so we had to be creative. Our research has shown, without doubt, that both species were widespread and common across Wales prior to the 18th Century. We hope this opens up new optimism about restoring these magnificent species to Wales in the near future."

The researchers gathered 151 historic records for eagles across every county in Wales—81 for golden eagles and 70 for white-tailed eagles.

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Plea to trace golden eagle spotted flying in north-east with leg caught in trap

by Annette Cameron

13/08/2019, 4:10 pm

A tourist raised concerns for the eagle's welfare after spotting it flying in Crathie, Deeside on Thursday

An appeal has been launched to help find a golden eagle spotted in the north-east with a trap on its leg.

Officers are looking to trace the raptor, which was seen flying in Crathie on Thursday.

Police have launched an investigation with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) after a tourist raised concerns for the eagle’s welfare.

Anyone with information has been urged to contact either Police Scotland or the RSPB.

Officers have released an image of the bird which shows the trap attached to its legs.

Sergeant Kim Wood said: “We would encourage anyone who has information which could help to locate this eagle to contact police on 101 or another relevant authority as soon as possible.”

The Cairngorms is the most likely place in the north-east for people to spot golden eagles in the wild.

The mountain range has been declared as an area of European importance for the bird of prey.

The bird has protected status under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and is classified as an amber-list species under the Birds of Conservation Concern review.

Source

Pioneering golden eagle found poisoned in Yellowstone

As bird is found with large amounts of lead in its body, a biologist asks ‘Is Yellowstone as protected as we once thought?’

Christine Peterson in Newcastle, Wyoming

Tue 16 Apr 2019 11.00 BSTLast modified on Tue 16 Apr 2019 15.57 BST

The pioneering golden eagle took to the skies above Yellowstone national park in the fall and flew north, to areas where humans were hunting game. A few months later it returned to the park and was found on the ground, dead.

Scientists performing a necropsy on the creature, the first to be tagged with a radio transmitter in the park, made an unhappy discovery: it had been poisoned by lead. They are now raising concerns over whether US national parks are as safe for wildlife as they seem.

“This bird had a substantial amount of lead put into its system in a very quick way,” said Todd Katzner, a research wildlife biologist with the US Geological Survey. “You don’t get that from breathing lead. It ingested something.”

The bird probably ingested lead ammunition fragments from big game carcasses. Lead bullets have been a source of controversy in the US hunting community for years. Conservationists argue for the use of alternatives such as copper bullets. Shooting sports advocates say non-lead ammunition is costly and that lead has been used for hundreds of years.

The topic has also become a flash point in national politics. In early 2017, the day before former president Barack Obama left office, his administration signed an order phasing out the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on most federal lands managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The ban was overturned less than two months later by the former interior secretary Ryan Zinke.

Read on

Returning lost eagle species to Wales

February 18, 2019, Cardiff University

Research taking place in Wales could see the return of lost eagle species to our countryside, bringing both conservation and economic benefits.

As part of pan-European efforts to restore eagles across their historic breeding range, researchers at Cardiff University are investigating whether the modern Welsh landscape has the potential to support their reintroduction.

Once a common sight in our skies, both the Golden and White-tailed eagle were driven to extinction in Wales in the mid-1800s. Today, the total European population of both eagle species is relatively small, and numbers are in further decline in many countries, primarily due to human persecution and habitat loss.

Bringing eagles back to Wales will help to strengthen ongoing efforts to conserve this endangered species. But, while the reintroduction of eagles to Wales is not a new concept, until now there has not been a rigorous assessment of whether it may be possible.

Eagle Reintroduction Wales Project researcher, Sophie-lee Williams from Cardiff University, explained: "Wales is home to large expanses of potentially suitable eagle habitat, but, before we begin reintroducing the species, there are many questions we need to answer about the quality of habitat, and whether it can sustain eagles.

"Working closely with partners such as the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and Wildlife Trust Wales, we are currently carrying out a full feasibility study which will enable us to answer some of these questions and determine whether the Welsh countryside is a suitable location for eagle reintroduction."

Reintroducing eagles to the Welsh countryside would be an achievement of international conservation importance and, as seen with similar projects elsewhere in the UK and Ireland, it could also bring significant benefits to local communities and regional economies through wildlife tourism.

The reintroduction programme of White-tailed Eagles on the west coast of Scotland attracts an extra 1.4 million visitors to the region every year, generating up to £5 million of tourist spend on the Isle of Mull, and supporting 110 jobs.

Read more at: 

Newly sequenced golden eagle genome will help its conservation

September 3, 2018, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

Conservation and monitoring efforts for the golden eagle will benefit from the newly-completed golden eagle genome sequence – the first of 25 species' genomes sequenced by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh.

The golden eagle genome, released today (31 August), will help scientists and conservationists understand the diversity and viability of the species worldwide. It will ultimately aid the monitoring of existing, reinforced and reintroduced populations of golden eagles, such as those in the South of Scotland Golden Eagle translocation project, which aims to bolster the protected species' population.

There are around 300,000 golden eagles worldwide, with between 9,300-12,300 pairs living in Europe. Despite being listed as 'least concern' by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and having widespread populations worldwide, the 508 breeding pairs of golden eagles in the UK are largely restricted to the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

The Scottish population is on the edge of the global range, and many existing world populations are small and declining.

For the first time, the golden eagle has had its genome sequenced by the Sanger Institute and its partners, in celebration of Sanger's 25th anniversary.

The genome will enable additional studies of golden eagles and will help in the conservation and monitoring of the species. The genetic information will aid in identifying populations or individuals that might be best involved in any reintroduction or other conservation projects.

Read more at: 

Golden eagle chicks released to boost south of Scotland population

A long-awaited project to boost the population of golden eagles in the south of Scotland has taken off.

Three young golden eagles have been released into the wild at a secret location in the Moffat Hills.

They were moved from nests in the Highlands where the majority of the birds are usually found.

The translocation project hopes to increase the number of golden eagles in parts of the country where they have become an increasingly rare sight.

Fewer than five breeding pairs exist in the south of Scotland with none in England or Wales.

Iconic bird

The BBC was given exclusive access to see the young birds ahead of them taking flight for the first time in one of the most significant reintroduction projects ever under taken for a large predator.

It is hoped people from the south of Scotland, northern England and even Wales will have the chance to see this iconic bird in the coming months and years.

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Nova Scotia centre caring for rare golden eagle found in middle of ocean

TRURO, N.S.

THE CANADIAN PRESS

PUBLISHED 17 HOURS AGOUPDATED MAY 7, 2018

A rare bird has ended up in the care of a Nova Scotia rehabilitation centre after being plucked from the Atlantic Ocean by fishermen.

The Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre usually sees about 30 eagles a year, but last week they got an unexpected visitor — a golden eagle.

“It came to us because it was found by some lobster fishermen off the coast of Seal Island about three kilometres into the ocean, which is a very unusual location for a golden eagle to be,” said Murdo Messer, co-founder of the Hilden, N.S., centre.

“We figured maybe it went after a fish or got into the water going after some prey and wasn’t able to get back out.

“If the fishermen hadn’t scooped him up, he definitely wouldn’t have survived.”

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the golden eagle is one of the largest birds in North America, and is usually found in the western U.S.

Messer said it’s unusual for a golden eagle to be found in this part of Canada.

Volunteers did a physical exam on the eagle when it arrived at the centre, but did not find any obvious injuries.

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New evidence suggests foul play in Golden Eagle 'disappearance'

23/03/2018

New information has come to light in the case of a satellite-tagged Golden Eagle that disappeared under suspicious circumstances in Scotland's Pentland Hills in January.

On 21 January, a GPS satellite tag fitted to the young eagle, known as Fred, suddenly and inexplicably stopped sending data close to a grouse moor in the Pentland Hills, on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Up until that point the tag had been working perfectly and was providing accurate and frequent location information about Fred's travels. Strangely, three-and-a-half days later, the tag began to transmit again for a short period, but astonishingly, it was in the North Sea, 15 miles offshore from St Andrews. No further GPS data have been received.

The researchers who had been tracking Fred's movements, including Dr Ruth Tingay of Raptor Persecution UK and broadcaster and campaigner Chris Packham, alerted experts at RSPB Scotland. The organisation immediately notified Police Scotland, who began an investigation into Fred's suspicious disappearance.

The analysis of new technical data, provided by the tag manufacturer, has now shed some light on the approximate location of Fred's tag during those three days of lost GPS transmissions.

Although the GPS transmissions were suppressed, the tag's technical data, which includes time and date, shows that it was still functioning and was periodically communicating briefly with a series of mobile phone masts closest to its then location. These data, giving locational information for the phone masts, suggest that in the days after Fred's disappearance his tag moved eastwards away from the Pentlands, along a route similar to that of the Edinburgh City Bypass and subsequently the A1 towards Haddington, before it travelled to the North Berwick area on the East Lothian coast. From there, it is likely that the tag went into the sea as the data then show that it began to connect with phone masts along the Fife coast, across the Firth of Forth. Later, the tag briefly resumed giving locational GPS transmissions, but by then it was well offshore.

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Golden eagle found dead on Barra killed by rival bird

19 March 2018

A golden eagle found dead in the Western Isles died from injuries inflicted by another eagle, Police Scotland has said.

Members of the public found the dead bird of prey on Barra on 12 March.

Following a post-mortem examination, police said there were no suspicious circumstances.

Wildlife crime officer Constable Daniel Sutherland said the prompt reporting of the discovery of the eagle helped the work to establish the cause of death.

He said: "It has been established that this bird succumbed to injuries which are consistent with being inflicted by another eagle.

"I would like to thank members of the public who reported this incident for their vigilance and bringing this to our attention."

The officer added: "The importance, not only for the police, but for our veterinary colleagues in building up a picture of the natural causes of death of birds is very useful.

"I would encourage anyone who finds the remains of a bird of prey and has concerns about it to contact us so the circumstances can be assessed."

Source 

Fears raised over fate of another protected Scottish golden eagle

Over a 12-year period, 41 out of 131 tagged golden eagles have disappeared in the Highlands.

ILONA AMOS

Published: 06:00 Wednesday 14 March 2018

Fears have been raised over the fate of another of Scotland’s protected golden eagles after its satellite tag ceased transmitting in a “black hole” in the Highlands. Conservationists have expressed concern for the young male bird, whose whereabouts has been unknown since communications were lost in December. They fear the two-year-old could have been illegally killed as his last recorded location was in the northern Monadhliath mountains in Inverness-shire, an area where a number of other birds have vanished over the past seven years. Data from the transmitter showed he had been living in upland region north of Tomatin since early last year.

Read more at: 

Golden eagle suspected of being killed and dumped at sea near Edinburgh

GPS data from the endangered young eagle, that was tagged by environmentalist Chris Packham, stopped transmitting before randomly restarting out at sea

Patrick Barkham

Fri 16 Feb 2018 11.12 GMTLast modified on Fri 16 Feb 2018 11.13 GMT

A young golden eagle may have been illegally killed near Edinburgh and dumped at sea after its satellite tag inexplicably stopped transmitting and then restarted in the North Sea.

The golden eagle was tagged by broadcaster and environmentalist Chris Packham and the campaign group Raptor Persecution UK at a nest in the Scottish Borders last summer, and named Fred, after the landowner’s grandson.

After the eagle fledged from what was the only nest in the region, GPS data from its tag revealed Fred spent several months in his parents’ territory before, this year flying north to the Pentland Hills, “woodland hopping” close to Edinburgh’s bypass.

On 20 January, Fred roosted overnight in trees overlooking a grouse moor. At 10am on 21 January, his tag suddenly stopped working.

On the evening of 24 January, the tag began transmitting again – some 10 miles off the east coast of Scotland beyond St Andrews. The tag continued to provide GPS data until 26 January, showing a final position 15 miles offshore.

Dr Ruth Tingay, of Raptor Persecution UK, said: “It is beyond doubt that Fred’s disappearance is highly suspicious. Golden eagles don’t generally fly out for miles over large bodies of sea water but even if Fred had done so, apart from defying everything we’ve learned about Scottish golden eagle behaviour, we would have seen excellent tracking data plotting his route given the reliability of his tag.

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Golden eagle migration out of sync with climate change

By Victoria GillScience reporter, BBC News

12 December 2017

Golden eagles in North America may have the timing of their migration shifted out of step with a seasonal boom in food they need to raise their young, according to scientists.

A project to track the impact of climate change on migrating animals has revealed that adult golden eagles are unable to shift the timing of their migration.

Lead researcher Scott LaPoint from Columbia University presented the findings at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union.

He explained that day length, or photoperiod, appeared to give the great birds the cue to go "as far and as fast as possible".

When analysing tracking data, composed of 20 years' worth of tagging birds with satellite tags and following their seasonal migrations, Dr LaPoint noticed an unusual pattern. Younger raptors would shift the timing of their journey, seemingly adapting to weather conditions and climate.

"But the adults get this photoperiod trigger and it's 'Time to go!'," he told BBC News.

"I would have expected an older, wiser bird to better time their migration," he added.

"But, with thesis [daylight] trigger, they don't have the luxury of deciding. They need to get [to their nesting site] as soon as possible to initiate a clutch.

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New administration rule would permit thousands of eagle deaths at wind farms

Published May 04, 2016 

 Associated Press

The Obama administration is revising a federal rule that allows wind-energy companies to operate high-speed turbines for up to 30 years, even if means killing or injuring thousands of federally protected bald and golden eagles.

Under the plan announced Wednesday, companies could kill or injure up to 4,200 bald eagles a year without penalty -- nearly four times the current limit. Golden eagles could only be killed if companies take steps to minimize the losses, for instance, by retrofitting power poles to reduce the risk of electrocution.

Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe said the proposal will "provide a path forward" for maintaining eagle populations while also spurring development of a pollution-free energy source that's intended to ease global warming, a cornerstone of President Barack Obama's energy plan.

Ashe said the 162-page proposal would protect eagles and at the same time "help the country reduce its reliance on fossil fuels" such as coal and oil that contribute to global warming.

"There's a lot of good news in here," Ashe said in an interview, calling the plan "a great tool to work with to further conservation of two iconic species."

The proposal sets objectives for eagle management, addresses how bird populations will be monitored and provides a framework for how the permitting system fits within the agency's overall eagle management, Ashe said.

Wind farms are clusters of turbines as tall as 30-story buildings, with spinning rotors as wide as a passenger jet's wingspan. Blades can reach speeds of up to 170 mph at the tips, creating tornado-like vortexes.

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England's only resident golden eagle 'feared dead'

England's only resident golden eagle is feared to have died, wildlife chiefs have said.

The bird, which occupied a site at Riggindale Valley, near Haweswater in the Lake District, has not been seen since before the turn of the year.

It is believed to be about 20 years old but has been without a mate for around a decade.

An RSPB spokesman said it was "incredibly sad" and added there was "a real sense of loss" among colleagues.

Haweswater site manager Lee Schofield, said: "By this time of year you would have expected to have seen him on display to attract a mate.

"As the last golden eagle in England, it's an element of wildness that has gone.

RSPB Image

The bird was pictured in 2011

"There's no real way of knowing for sure. It's a single bird in a huge landscape and he was of an age we couldn't rule out death by natural causes."

"We've not given up hope," Mr Schofield added. "It may be that he has found an alternative food source."

Golden eagle facts:

Golden eagles have been present in the Lake District since the late 1950s and first nested in the Haweswater area in 1969

There are an estimated 440 annual breeding pairs in the UK

Mostly found in the open moorlands and mountains of Scotland, the birds favour islands and remote glens

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Rare set of golden eagle triplets born in the east Highlands

STV 

15 July 2015 17:44 BST

A rare set of golden eagle triplets has been born in Scotland, a wildlife charity has revealed.

The female chicks hatched nine weeks ago and are being raised by their parents in the east Highlands.

The RSPB is keeping their exact location secret to protect the birds and has fitted them with satellite tags.

There are around 450 pairs of golden eagles in Scotland but fewer than 300 breed each year and it is very unusual for them to lay more than two eggs.

The chicks are likely to leave their nest soon but will probably stay in the area they were born until next spring.

Scotland is home to a number of species of eagle, including the white-tailed eagle which was reintroduced to the Inner Hebrides in 1975 nearly 60 years after it was hunted to extinction in the UK.

On Wednesday, Rewilding Britain launched a campaign to bring back other species including wolves, lynx, boars and beavers.

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Arrival of rare golden eagle in south Delta generates stir in birding community

BY LARRY PYNN, VANCOUVER SUN JANUARY 1, 2015

A golden eagle — a rare visitor to a region known for its bald eagles — had birders all aflutter on New Year’s Day in south Delta.

“I have been here a couple of days for this guy,” said Vancouver’s Michelle Lamberson, taking her place in a line of photographers along 72nd Street near Boundary Bay. “I’ve got some decent shots.”

The juvenile bird sat like an ornament atop a large poplar tree on the edge of a golf course about 75 metres from the roadside.

Lamberson, who is director of flexible learning special projects at the University of B.C. and a birder for eight years, added: “I’ve not seen one in the Lower Mainland before. Bald eagles don’t like them.”

Mark Wynja, a birder for more than 40 years who works in a bird-supply shop in Vancouver, said the golden eagle rules the roost along the Boundary Bay foreshore. He watched as the raptor flew into a stand of red alders and scattered four bald eagles from their perches, although they later returned.

“He tends to be the dominant bird,” he said. “He’s tougher than a bald eagle, which is a glorified scavenger.”

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Rare ‘golden eagle’ swoops past motorist at Kent roadside

29th August 2014

Residents of Kent might expect to come across the odd squirrel or rabbit on their drive to work – but certainly not a golden eagle.

Ricky Shaw, from Ashford, was driving along Cheeseman’s Green Lane when the rare bird of prey swooped down and flew ahead of him.

Recorded on Ricky’s dash-cam, the eagle is initially camouflaged against the bushes lining the road but the huge creature soon emerges, its six-foot wingspan clear to see as it flies up and out of shot.

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Golden eagles could return to southern Scotland

Improvements to habitats in the south of Scotland could lead the area to become a stronghold for golden eagles.

A study carried out by the Scottish Natural Heritage showed that the area could potentially support up to 16 pairs, almost four times the present number.

At the moment there are thought to be no more than one or two pairs in Galloway and no more than three in the Scottish Borders.

Prof Des Thompson of SNH, who led the research, told the BBC "We would now like to see on-the-ground, practical work to improve the habitat for golden eagles in the south of Scotland.

"With habitat improvements, we could see connections with the small reintroduced population in Ireland. This would help both groups of eagles and could even help bolster the population in the north of England."

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Golden eagle sighting near Wrexham 'exciting'

9 May 2014 Last updated at 10:19

A reported sighting of what appears to be a wild golden eagle over north Wales is an exciting development, say bird experts.

Brothers Rhys and Ifan Richards, both keen bird watchers, reported seeing the giant bird flying over Ruabon moor, near Wrexham, last Saturday.

It is thought to be the first reported sighting of a wild golden eagle in Wales since 1990.

A golden eagle was spotted by mountain bikers in Carmarthenshire recently.

At the time, Dyfed-Powys Police said there were no reports of a missing eagle but the RSPB said it was likely to have escaped.

Of the latest sighting of an eagle, Julian Hughes, a trustee of the Welsh Ornithological Society, said: "This is really unusual and quite exciting."

He said if the bird was a juvenile it could have strayed from southern Scotland or north-west Ireland where a re-introduction programme is taking place.

"Young birds can wander for hundreds of miles," he added.

"They only have to flap their wings a few times and they're away. But unless we get further sightings, it will be difficult to know the origins of the bird. It would be great to see the golden eagle reappearing in Wales."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-27339054

Genome yields insights into golden eagle vision, smell

Date:

April 24, 2014

Source:

Purdue University

Summary:

Scientists have sequenced the genome of the golden eagle, providing a bird's-eye view of eagle features that could lead to more effective conservation strategies.

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