Wildlife

Wild Sea Eagle Welfare and Recovery

White-tailed sea eagles have been successfully reintroduced to Scotland and now England, but individual birds face welfare challenges from persecution, lead poisoning and collision.

Key Facts

White-tailed sea eagles were reintroduced to Scotland in the 1970s and have recovered to over 150 pairs
English reintroduction on the Isle of Wight began in 2019 and is establishing successfully
Illegal shooting and persecution remains the primary welfare threat to individual birds
Lead poisoning from ingested gunshot in deer carcasses causes neurological disease and death
Power line collisions are a significant mortality factor particularly for inexperienced juvenile birds

Welfare Considerations

Sea eagle welfare improvement requires sustained anti-persecution enforcement alongside lead ammunition phase-out and power line marking. Individual birds represent enormous conservation value.

What You Can Do

Report suspected sea eagle persecution immediately to the RSPB Wildlife Crime Unit
Advocate for the mandatory use of lead-free ammunition in deer stalking and hunting
Support power line marking programmes that reduce raptor collision mortality