Natural England has announced plans for 60 young white-tailed eagles – Britain’s biggest bird of prey – to be released into the wild in Norfolk.
Nicknamed ‘flying barndoors”, because of their wing span of up to 8ft (2.4m), white tailed eagles became extinct in Britain by the early 20th century.
The birds of prey were reintroduced to Scotland from the 1970s, with the first reintroduction in England taking place on the Isle of Wight in 2019.
Now the Government conservation agency Natural England said it plans to release up to 60 juvenile white-tailed eagles over 10 years at Wild Ken Hill, a conservation farming project on the west Norfolk coast.
The team said they were given the go-ahead after a detailed feasibility study and a public consultation showed high public support, with 91 per cent backing the scheme and 63 per cent of farmers indicating support.
Concerns have been raised previously about the birds of prey targeting livestock such as lambs, as well as feeding on various birds, rabbits, hares and carrion.
The young birds will be translocated from a healthy population in Poland. Due to the impact of Covid-19 on international travel, the first birds are likely to be introduced in 2022.
LSL News.