When most birders consider UK birds of prey, they think of kites, harriers, and sparrowhawks. Although all of these birds are special to see, many are curious if there are eagles in UK countries. If so, where are there eagles in the UK?
Those who wish to know about UK eagles should be sure to stick around, as I’ll be discussing a wealth of different topics related to these creatures. However, before we get into the specifics of UK eagle species, we’ll need to address whether there are even eagles here in the first place. Are there eagles in the UK? Let’s find out!
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Are There Eagles In The UK?
Many places around the world tout eagles as symbols for their nations, and it’s easy to see why. Eagles are quite impressive with their beauty and massive size. Alas, eagles are not symbolic in the UK, but does this mean that there are no UK eagle species? Are there eagles in the UK?
Yes, there are eagles in UK countries! Although eagles in the UK are often overshadowed by the more abundant UK raptors, there are nonetheless eagles that can be observed in the United Kingdom.
Now, that doesn’t mean that birders can find a UK eagle anywhere. No, tracking down eagles in the UK is not an easy task. Fortunately, I’ll tell you the best places to find them. Before I discuss where to find eagles in UK countries, let’s discuss the UK eagle species present in this nation.
Types Of Eagles In UK
A decent assortment of raptors can undoubtedly be observed within the United Kingdom at various times of the year. Indeed, harriers and hawks are rather diverse, but what are UK eagles – are eagles in the UK diverse?
Well, not exactly. You see, there are only two eagles in the UK that regularly occur – the Golden Eagle and the White-tailed Eagle. Although this diversity may seem to be lacking, it is on par with places such as North America and Australia.
While many species of eagle are migratory, the two UK eagle species breed here and can be found throughout the year. Now that we know more about the types of eagles in the UK, let’s discuss where to find UK eagles. Where are eagles in the UK located?
Where Are There Eagles In The UK?
Finding White-tailed Eagles In The UK
As I alluded to earlier, birders cannot merely go birding anywhere in the United Kingdom and expect to see eagles. While a few people may get lucky and happen upon an eagle, most will fail to see a UK eagle. Therefore, knowing where to look before attempting to find eagles in UK countries is key. So, where are there eagles in the UK?
Let’s start with White-tailed Eagles. These marvellous raptors are the largest UK birds of prey. While they were historically native to most of the United Kingdom, they were extirpated from the United Kingdom in the early 20th century.
The outlook for these birds looked grim at this time, fortunately, ornithologists banded together to preserve this species. White-tailed Eagles were reintroduced to Scotland in the 1970s, and they have now successfully spread to breed along the coasts of much of western and northern Scotland.
Image attribution: “White-tailed Sea-Eagle – Hokkaido – Japan_S4E9284” by Francesco Veronesi is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Additionally, a recent reintroduction plan has resulted in White-tailed Eagles becoming re-established in southern England. They now breed here in small numbers, and the hope is that this population of White-tailed Eagles in southern England can one day connect with the established populations in Scotland. This would allow them to re-colonize the entirety of the United Kingdom.
The best place to look for White-tailed Eagles in the United Kingdom is still Scotland. Here, they nest on cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, but they may also nest in large trees adjacent to sizable lochs. However, looking for them along the myriad islands along the west coast of Scotland or the western Scottish coast is the best place to observe these UK eagles.
Finding Golden Eagles In The UK
Much like White-tailed Eagles, Golden Eagles are now primarily present in Scotland. Those within the United Kingdom have suffered extensive persecution from those who–incorrectly–believed that they posed a threat to livestock or game animals. This drastically reduced Golden Eagle numbers and confined them to the most inaccessible parts of Scotland.
Fortunately, Golden Eagles persevered in the face of this persecution. Indeed, numbers are now beginning to make slow recoveries in Scotland. Unfortunately, these UK eagles have been extirpated from England and Wales.
However, conservationists are adamant that tremendous habitat for Golden Eagles still exists in England and Wales, so there is hope that they may one day be able to recolonize these areas.
In the meantime, these eagles in Scotland will need conservationists to continue fighting for them. Indeed, they would benefit from increased populations of prey species such as hares and grouse. Therefore, conservation plans that seek to bolster these creatures will also benefit Golden Eagles in Scotland.
Wondering where to see Golden Eagles in Scotland? Well, Golden Eagles in Scotland have a fairly complete distribution, breeding in many areas north of Glasgow and west of Huntly. Here, these eagles in UK countries are found in open habitats that have few trees and minimal people. Golden Eagles usually breed along cliffs, but they may breed in trees if sufficient cliff-nesting habitat is absent.
Eagles In Scotland
Scotland is undoubtedly the best place to view UK eagle species. Indeed, both types of eagles in the UK breed in Scotland and can be found here year-round. There are many remote areas in Scotland where these UK raptors can thrive, so there is no shortage of locations in which birders can view these creatures.
In total, there have been nearly 3,000 observations of Golden Eagles in Scotland that have been submitted to eBird, while there have been about 2,700 observations of White-tailed Eagles. Golden Eagles are more common within the interior portions of Scotland, while White-tailed Eagles are more readily found along the west coast.
Eagles in England
Finding eagles in England is much more difficult than finding eagles in Scotland. Indeed, Golden Eagles are not known to breed in England at this time, while White-tailed Eagles are still in the fledgling stages of re-establishment.
Nonetheless, both eagles in UK can be found here with regularity. Golden Eagles may wander into the northern reaches of England during the nonbreeding season, while White-tailed Eagles have shown up in all parts of the country. There have been more than 1,600 eBird reports of White-tailed Eagles in England, while the Golden Eagle report only number 133 at the time of writing this article.
How Many Golden Eagles In UK?
Now that you’ve read about the plight of Golden Eagles in the United Kingdom, you may be curious about how many of these UK raptors remain. How many Golden Eagles in UK countries are there?
Well, good news – the population of Golden Eagles in the United Kingdom has been increasing in recent decades! Although population growth has been slow, ornithologists believe there to be about 500 pairs of Golden Eagles in Scotland. Additionally, there are several hundred immature birds that have not yet reached breeding age.
This is fantastic news, and with continued conservation, Golden Eagles may one day be able to recolonize much of the UK.