Eagle Reintroduction Programme Expands After Breeding Success

The return of white-tailed eagles to the wild in the United Kingdom is gaining momentum, with additional releases approved following successful breeding and population growth in recent years.

“Seven years on from the start of this project, these birds have begun to successfully return to the English landscape – forming pairs, establishing territories and breeding,” said Stephen Egerton-Read, White-Tailed Eagle Project Manager at Forestry England.

The conservation initiative, led by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, has released 45 young white-tailed eagles since 2019 and will now expand with up to 20 additional birds released over three years from a second site. The project has already achieved a major milestone, with the first wild-born chick fledging in 2023 – the first white-tailed eagle born in the wild in southern England for more than 240 years. Since then, five more chicks have been born. Once widespread across the country before becoming extinct due to persecution, the species is now re-establishing territories along the south coast, supported by habitat restoration, scientific monitoring, and long-term conservation partnerships.