Golden Eagles will once again be a permanent feature of English skies, as the government pledges £1m to back the reintroduction of the species as early as next year. Britain's second largest bird of prey was wiped out in England during the 19th Century after a concerted campaign of hunting. Forestry England will now launch a public consultation alongside the charity behind the successful return of the species to the Scottish border.
Restoring Upland Nature said they have seen widespread support for the return of the "impressive" species but farming communities have previously raised concerns about the threat this predator could pose to lambs. They are one of the fastest animals on the planet, reaching speeds of up to 200mph as they dive, and have razor-sharp vision - able to spot a rabbit moving three miles away. And yet, these apex predators were hunted to extinction in England and Wales because of their perceived threat to livestock and grouse.
After years of research by Forestry England into appropriate environments, and a successful re-enforcement of the species along the Scottish border, the government is now backing a parallel project in Northumberland. "Aside from being Britain's second largest bird of prey with an impressive two-metre wingspan, the golden eagle is a keystone species that can play a vital role in nature recovery more widely," said Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds. The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, with research by NGOs and academics in 2023 revealing that one in six species are now at risk of extinction.
The government has backed a number of species reintroduction programmes over the years as part of efforts to reverse this trend including re-establishing pine martens, beavers and whitefaced darter dragonflies. Ed Parr Ferris, species recovery manager at Forestry England, said bringing golden eagles back to the country's landscape can help to control mesopredators - ones that occupy the middle of the food web - like foxes and badgers. "Golden eagles are impressive and beautiful birds, and one of our only remaining apex predators in Britain.
Any predator applies a pressure on a system to balance all the different other animals that are living in that place ... allow[ing] space for rarer animals to survive and to thrive." The study led by Forestry England looked at 28 possible locations for new populations, and of those, eight were identified as providing the right climate, landscape and minimal potential for disturbance - with Northumberland the favourite. Some of the others include: Over the last eight years 28 chicks from the Scottish Highlands and Islands have been brought down to the Scottish border and successfully established. Some of these birds have been temporarily migrating into England, but the study estimated that without further support it would take 20 years for the birds to naturally expand and settle further south.
Restoring Upland Nature (RUN) - the charity behind the Scottish border re-establishment scheme - will lead the £1m programme in England over the next three years. There will first be a period of public consultation with landowners and farmers, but chicks could be brought in as early as next summer explained Dr Cat Barlow, CEO of RUN. She said this next step was not just important for the species but also to engage people more broadly on the issue of nature recovery.
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