SEA eagles, the UK’s largest bird of prey, are being reintroduced to Exmoor after an absence of more than 200 years.
Exmoor National Park Authority (ENPA) is supporting a programme which in recent years has seen seven different white-tailed eagles visiting and spending time along the coast and in the combes across the moor.
Now, the authority is planning a release on Exmoor over three years of up to 20 juvenile white-tailed eagles to reinforce the establishing population.
But first, the park authority wants to hear public views on the project and has launched an online perception survey which can be found here.
ENPA has been partnering a reintroduction programme in England led by the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation (RDWF) and Forestry England to support conservation of the species.
It hopes the release of juvenile birds will boost an emerging population of sea eagles along the south coast of England which has developed since the programme began in 2019.
The programme is based on the Isle of Wight and has seen 37 eagles released, of which a pair bred successfully for the first time last year.
The same pair reared a further two chicks this year, and three other territorial pairs of eagles are now established on the south coast.
Exmoor has been identified as a key location after the presence of several of the white-tailed eagles released by the project.
Satellite tracking shows precise locations of the birds and over the past few years Exmoor has become a sea eagles hotspot with many people sighting them.
The eagles, which have a wingspan of more than eight feet, formerly bred on the coast of Exmoor and its extensive areas of coastal woodland, where there is an abundance of marine fish species, such as grey mullet.
ENPA senior ecologist Ali Hawkins said: “White-tailed eagles are an important flagship species in coastal ecosystems and used to be found right across the UK, but are now one of our rarest species and listed as a species of conservation concern.
“Working with RDWF over the last few years we have been doing a lot of liaison with local landowners and shoots regarding eagles already visiting Exmoor.
“With its remote wooded coastline, deep incised valleys, and abundance of food, it is easy to see why the eagles are choosing to spend time here and people have greatly enjoyed seeing them.
“We would really like to hear what people think about white-tailed eagles in our public perception survey and invite everybody to come to our events and to talk with the RDWF and Forestry England, who are experts on these birds, and our conservation staff and rangers.
“We think reinforcing the population of these spectacular birds would greatly support our work to make Exmoor richer in wildlife and return an important species to our national park.
“Moreover, evidence from projects in Scotland and the South of England shows that eagle tourism is extremely popular and could be of great benefit to the Exmoor economy, especially in winter.”