Reintroduction efforts for a vital species of bird have proved successful on the Isle of Wight, off the coast of mainland England, with two male chicks fledging their nest in the summer of 2024, the BBC reports.
The white-tailed eagles have been steadily boosting their local population after being reintroduced to the south of England in a project that began in 2019.
So far, 37 of the birds have been released on the Isle of Wight, and the hatching of a single chick to a pair of eagles in 2023 marked the first time it had happened in the area since the 1780s, according to the BBC.
As the outlet observed, the species had been lost in England due to human persecution centuries ago. However, they have successfully bred and thrived in Scotland after reintroduction efforts there (detailed here by Rewilding Britain). The birds set free on the Isle of Wight have satellite tags, and some have even flown across the English Channel to mainland Europe.
With these birds typically accustomed to shallow waters and coastline areas, one of the birds made the unusual decision to fly to landlocked Oxfordshire, where it has apparently settled with red kites, another bird of prey species.
"To see this second year of breeding success is really encouraging," said Roy Dennis of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, per the BBC. "It is still early days, but this is a very significant milestone."
A feasibility study is also being conducted to reintroduce the white-tailed eagles in Wales. According to Rewilding Britain, white-tailed eagles significantly impact the local ecosystem. The apex predators limit the populations of prey species and help with nutrient cycling between land and sea.
Similar reintroduction projects are occurring worldwide to bring back critical animals that have been lost because of human-caused actions, such as hunting, land loss, and climate alteration from the burning of dirty fuels.
In Colorado, for example, gray wolves were released 80 years after they were last seen in the state. It is hoped the return of the large canines will help to control a booming elk population, which has led to the overeating of native plants that have driven away beavers.
It just goes to show the knock-on effects the loss of a single species can have on the ecosystem at large. That's why protecting vulnerable creatures and the areas they inhabit is so important to maintain natural order and keep our environment healthy.
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