Background information
The Cumbrian White-Tailed Eagle Project has been exploring the possibility of bringing white-tailed eagles back to the Cumbrian landscape. The project is hosted by the Cumbrian White-Tailed Eagle Steering Group, made up of organisations including the University of Cumbria, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, The Lifescape Project, RSPB, the Wildland Institute, the Lake District National Park Authority alongside local estate owners and managers. The white-tailed eagle is one of the 21 prioritised species to highlight the opportunities for restoration, reinforcement, or reintroduction in the Lake District National Park Nature Recovery Delivery Plan. Also, white-tailed eagles are recognised within the Cumbria Local Nature Recovery Strategy currently being developed as one of the shortlisted species forming the pool of potential species priorities.
An initial look into the possibility of returning these eagles to Cumbria was undertaken in 2023 with a pre-feasibility study led by the University of Cumbria. This work suggested that there is suitable habitat in Cumbria and the project is now looking in more depth at what people think about having the species back in the landscape.
With a wingspan of up to 2.5 metres, white-tailed eagles, sometimes called sea eagles, are Britain’s largest native bird of prey. They are generalist predators and scavengers feeding on birds, fish, and mammals. They inhabit a range of marine and freshwater habitats across the Palearctic (stretching across Europe, parts of Central Asia and Siberia). White-tailed eagles were once widespread in Britain, but numbers declined due to a reduction of areas for the birds to live, and the disturbance, harm and killings of these eagles leading to their loss from the United Kingdom in 1918. These eagles were once found in Cumbria in abundance, with the last recorded breeding attempt near Haweswater in 1787.
Cumbria is a location of strategic importance for white-tailed eagles, sitting between Scottish, Irish, and southern England populations which have already been reintroduced, and acting as a potential connection between each of them. Our research found that Cumbria has suitable habitat for these eagles as well as ample food, and that reintroduced birds would be able to grow into a healthy population.