Four white-tailed eagle chicks have been released back into the wild at Killarney National Park in Co. Kerry today (Tuesday, July 6).
The chicks are the first of 27 to be released in various locations around the country over the coming weeks.
This marks the second phase of a National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) programme, which began in 2007, to reintroduce this once extinct species back to Ireland.
The chicks are brought to Ireland from Norway and are cared for in safe and secure sites until they are ready to be released.
Ongoing monitoring and tracking of the birds indicates that they are nesting and breeding in various locations around Ireland.
White-tailed eagle
The white-tailed eagle is a bird of prey which became extinct in the nineteenth century and plays an important part in protecting biodiversity.
The eagles, which are a protected species under the Wildlife Act, feed on a wide variety of prey, including fish, waterbirds and carrion.
The birds settle on territories around the coast and large freshwater lakes to breed.
Tánaiste Michéal Martin along with Minister for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan helped to release the four chicks at Killarney National Park today.
The Tánaiste said that it was “a remarkable experience to witness these majestic birds in their natural habitat”.
“The white-tailed eagle is an important part of our biodiversity, but also our heritage. Their reappearance in our skies is a source of wonder and interest for local and international visitors to Killarney National Park.
“I would like to thank the NPWS staff, landowners and international partners from Norway for their work on the programme.
“We are all invested in the survival of these rare and beautiful birds, and have a part to play in keeping them safe,” he said.
Minister Noonan added that this programme is one of a number of NPWS initiatives underway to restore our biodiversity.
“This is the second phase of this reintroduction project, and we now have evidence of White-tailed Eagles breeding in counties further afield – from the south of the island in Cork right up to Donegal.
“Killarney is a special place for the White-tailed Eagle. This year, in Killarney National Park, two chicks have successfully fledged for the fourth year in a row,” he said.
All of the chicks are fitted with satellite tags so that their movements can be tracked as they disperse and establish in new areas.
The chicks are vulnerable to external factors such as adverse weather conditions, avian influenza (bird flu) and other diseases, and illegal poisonings.
Eamonn Meskell, divisional manager NPWS, Killarney National Park said it was great to see the white-tailed eagle returning to nest, breed and fledge their chicks in the park.
“The park provides the perfect nesting habitat, with its old, tall oak and pine trees, quiet surroundings and an ample supply of fish available in the lakes for their survival,” he said.