Wildlife

Wild Golden Eagle: Food Provision and Winter Welfare in Scotland

Golden eagles face winter food stress in Scotland, with illegal persecution and prey availability being primary welfare threats.

Key Facts

Scotland has approximately 500 golden eagle pairs - the majority of UK population
Illegal persecution on grouse moors remains the primary human-caused eagle mortality
Supplementary feeding programmes at nest sites support welfare in hard winters
Prey availability, including rabbit and hare populations, critically affects breeding success

Welfare Considerations

Eagles that die from persecution or starvation suffer prolonged deaths. Illegal poisoning and shooting causes acute, preventable suffering. Protected supplementary feeding sites and rigorous persecution enforcement directly reduce welfare harm to individual eagles.

What You Can Do

Support RSPB Investigations reporting of golden eagle persecution
Donate to Cairngorms Connect and other highland habitat restoration programmes
Advocate for stronger penalties for bird of prey persecution convictions