Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

File photo of white-tailed eagle chicks. Shutterstock

Taoiseach releases eagle chicks in biodiversity initiative to restore native bird to Irish skies

This year a total of sixteen young eagles will be released at three sites across Munster.

TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has released four white-tailed sea eagle chicks in Kerry today as part of a long-term initiative to re-establish a population of the once-extinct native bird.

The eagle chicks arrived in Kerry airport on 1 July this year and the release in Tarbert, Co Kerry, today is part of the 2022 phase of this biodiversity initiative.

This year a total of sixteen young eagles will be released at three sites across Munster, including Killarney National Park, Lough Derg and the lower Shannon estuary, with the first of these being released today by the Taoiseach.

“I have followed this project for a number of years now and watching the eagles take to the skies for the first time is something that will last long in the memory,” Martin said.

“It is wonderful to see the development since the first introduction of chicks a number of years ago. These white-tailed eagles are magnificent birds which will play a key role in a functioning ecosystem, after having been driven to extinction in the 19th Century as a result of human actions.”

As in previous years, the young eagles released today were collected under licence in Norway by the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) and co-workers. All the birds have been fitted with satellite tags in Ireland to enable their progress to be followed and their integration into the existing Irish breeding population monitored.

The chicks, as they mature, will join the small Irish breeding population that has become established since the reintroduction programme began in 2007. Thirty one young eagles from Norway have been released over the last two years and by the releases this year will bring the total to 47.

Already, the satellite data shows that two birds released in 2020 have paired up with older birds and have established territories in Ireland.

Previously, in the first-phase reintroduction programme (2007-2011), 100 young White-tailed Eagles were released in Killarney National Park. Birds from these releases dispersed throughout Ireland with the first breeding occurring in 2012 on Lough Derg, Co Clare.

Since then a small breeding population of eight to ten pairs has established and has successfully fledged over 40 chicks, including seven chicks that fledged from the wild in 2022.

The first Irish-bred female to breed in over 100 years has been the most productive eagle in Ireland in modern times with seven fledgling chicks in the past three years and this year saw the first Irish-bred male successfully breed. He and his mate fledged a chick at a nest in Glengarriff, Co Cork.

Despite these breeding successes, a scientific review of the reintroduction project indicated the small population is still vulnerable to mortality factors such as illegal poisoning. The breeding population was also negatively impacted by Avian Influenza in 2018 and 2021, Storm Hannah in 2019 and adverse weather in other years during the nesting period.

Today’s release will be followed by a further release next Tuesday when the Norwegian Ambassador along with a group of visiting Norwegians, who collected the eagles in Norway and made this re-introduction programme possible, will visit Killarney National Park.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
14 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damocles
    Favourite Damocles
    Report
    Aug 6th 2012, 9:10 PM

    We had a power cut earlier today and I got to experience this thing called “actual reality”, it was in my garden. The graphics were amazing.

    125
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shem
    Favourite Shem
    Report
    Aug 7th 2012, 9:12 AM

    I played that one before. It rained and I lost.

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Creamy Hamstrings
    Favourite Creamy Hamstrings
    Report
    Aug 6th 2012, 7:43 PM

    This appears to be technology solely developed for porn. Dating will become a thing of the past!

    70
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sarah Jane Burton
    Favourite Sarah Jane Burton
    Report
    Aug 6th 2012, 8:04 PM

    I fear all human interaction will become a thing of the past if we continue to consume technology at the rate we are.

    45
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Bilbo Baggins
    Favourite Bilbo Baggins
    Report
    Aug 6th 2012, 8:46 PM

    You mean face to face interaction? I would think technology as a whole has increased interaction between people , facebook, viber, multiplayer games, Skype and so on.
    Granted it doesn’t seem that way with people sitting beside each other both on phones tapping..

    43
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cian O Donnell
    Favourite Cian O Donnell
    Report
    Aug 6th 2012, 8:21 PM

    putting the “eye” in i-phone….

    40
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Ramsey
    Favourite Stephen Ramsey
    Report
    Aug 7th 2012, 10:26 AM

    My main worry would be the prospect of somebody hacking into my vision.

    2
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds