Golden eagles flourish despite deaths and disappearances

Ten years ago the iconic golden eagle was a rare sight over the rolling hills of southern Scotland.

Numbers had fallen to a handful of breeding pairs and action was needed to turn around the "dwindling population".

In 2018, a pioneering project began to relocate birds from the Highlands to a secret location in the Moffat Hills in a bid to reverse the decline.

There have been setbacks along the way - with deaths and disappearances - but the numbers of the majestic bird have now risen to record levels.

The scheme started in the summer of 2018 - more than a decade after first being discussed.

The first chicks were brought to the Moffat Hills from the Highlands in what was described as a "significant moment" for their future.

However, there was an early setback in 2019 when one bird apparently attacked and killed another.

The project team described it as a "very difficult" moment but added that they remained committed to seeing the scheme succeed.

Despite the loss of one of the young golden eagles, more were brought from the Highlands and, by August 2021, eight more chicks had been successfully moved south.

It took the total number relocated to 12 and nearly doubled the local population in the space of three years.

By early 2023, the number of golden eagles in southern Scotland had hit its highest recorded level in centuries with the population reaching nearly 50.

Although the project began by bringing chicks, it had started to introduce older birds as well and a spin-off festival was set up in Moffat.

With the rise in numbers has come an increase in incidents which have seen birds killed, injured or lost.

In February 2023, an eagle named Sula was found dead on the Queensberry Estate but avian flu and foul play were ruled out and it was attributed to natural causes.

However, the disappearance of Merrick later in the year - last seen in an area to the west of Fountainhall - was treated by police as an incident of persecution.

In November 2024, another eagle - Thistle - died in what was believed to be an attack by another bird or birds.

And, the same month, Sparky was suspected to have been struck by a wind turbine in Galloway.

A year later police said data suggested that one of two eagles missing in the hills near Langholm - named Tarras - had come to harm.

And in February this year, Hamlet was recovering from shotgun injuries suffered in the Tweedsmuir area with police investigating.

Most recently, concerns were raised about plans for more turbines in the Moorfoot Hills and their potential to injure or kill the eagles.

Police said their investigations into the incidents where persecution was suspected were continuing and appealed for information.

Despite the difficulties, Dr Cat Barlow, chief executive of Restoring Upland Nature (RUN) - the new home of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project - said it was "incredibly proud" of the "groundbreaking success".

She said some birds had even ventured into northern England where there had been no nesting eagles for almost a decade.

Barlow added: "We recently celebrated the arrival of the first locally-hatched chick parented by one of the translocated eagles - a significant milestone for the long-term sustainability of the population."

She said she believed it was "just the beginning" for their successes.

"As some of the younger birds continue to settle and establish territories, we are optimistic that the population will continue to grow," Barlow added.

Michael Clarke, who chairs RUN, said they were "bitterly disappointed" some birds had been injured or died but overall their revival had been "simply phenomenal".

"Golden eagles are back and here to stay in the south of Scotland," he said.

"We hope they continue to spread from here so that people across the UK can experience the enjoyment of seeing these iconic birds soaring in the skies above them."

Dee Ward, the chairman of landowners group Scottish Land and Estates, said RUN was a "powerful example" of what could be achieved when landowners and conservationists united behind a "shared vision".

He said landowners had been "instrumental to that success" with 21 of the 24 juvenile golden eagles coming from privately-owned estates - including his own in the Angus Glens.

"That level of contribution reflects a deep and enduring commitment within the sector to the recovery of this magnificent species," he said.

Ward added that it was "deeply disappointing" that "isolated incidents of illegal persecution" had occurred - including the loss of the bird from his own estate.

"Such actions by a small minority risk casting an unwelcome shadow over what is otherwise an outstanding example of collaborative conservation," he said.