White-tailed eagles reintroduced to the Isle of Wight and mainland England are establishing territories, with welfare monitoring central to the programme's management.
Reintroduced white-tailed eagles face welfare challenges including establishing territory in unfamiliar landscapes, competition for food with existing raptors, and risk of human persecution. Satellite tracking has revealed that some reintroduced birds have died in suspicious circumstances or been found poisoned. Young birds that fail to establish feeding territories face starvation. Disturbance of nesting birds by drone operators and birdwatchers is an increasing welfare and conservation concern. The welfare monitoring enabled by satellite tracking — allowing rapid response to birds in distress — represents best practice in reintroduction programme management.