A white-tailed sea eagle chick has successfully hatched and fledged at Fota Wildlife Park in County Cork, the first such birth at the park in more than ten years. The eaglet hatched on April 13 to resident parents Áine and Tony, and park staff report the pair have adapted well to raising Europe's largest eagle species.
Adult white-tailed sea eagles can reach wingspans exceeding 2.5 meters, requiring parents to consume 500 to 600 grams of food daily during breeding season to support their young. Jess Hodnett, Fota Wildlife Park's Native Species Conservation Officer, said the mother and father have done a great job rearing the chick.
The fledging carries particular significance for Ireland, where white-tailed sea eagles were once common along coastlines but were driven to extinction by human persecution more than a century ago. The species remained absent until a reintroduction effort began in 2007.
Ireland's National Parks and Wildlife Service, working with the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, farmers, and local communities, has released more than 200 white-tailed sea eagles at sites around the country. The recovery effort has now reached a milestone: Ireland's population is considered self-sustaining.
Fota Wildlife Park has participated in white-tailed sea eagle conservation since 1991 and has now successfully bred six chicks. Staff hope the new fledgling will eventually join a European endangered-species breeding program, potentially contributing to conservation efforts beyond Ireland.
The park's conservation work extends to other vulnerable native species. Since 2016, Fota has raised and released more than 13,600 natterjack toadlets into their native habitat in County Kerry, with another 750 expected this August. The park also works with endangered white-clawed crayfish and curlews.
Hodnett said the eagle chick demonstrates positive outcomes from cooperation between institutions and communities. A species humans once eliminated from Ireland is now being nurtured by a new generation of birds, with people working together to ensure its continued survival.
Once Gone From Ireland, Majestic Sea Eagles Continue Their Comeback with Rare New Chick
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