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Posted by Rosemary Drisdelle Mar 2, 2007 |
The UK’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is apparently launching a new recovery project for White-tailed Eagles in Scotland. The group proposes to release more than 100 White-tailed Eagles along Scotland’s east coast over the next five years.
The White-tailed Eagle is a large bird of prey with a wingspan of over two meters. It lives in rocky coastal areas feeding mainly on fish and other birds. Once common in the British Isles, these beautiful raptors were hunted to extinction by early in the 20th century.
Reintroduced to Western Scotland between 1975 and 1998, the birds have established a self-sustaining population there, and have caused a significant increase in tourism in that area. Critics of the current reintroduction plan fear that White-tailed eagles will take lambs from eastern Scotland’s farms and put added stress on threatened bird species.
More about White-tailed Eagles:
The White-tailed Eagle Returns
Other Projects by the RSPB:
Cats, Birds, and Ascension Island
Sources for this article:
Sea Eagle Project: Possible East Coast Translocation: Scottish Natural Heritage