Conservationists and ecologists warn that efforts to reintroduce white-tailed eagles in England and Wales risk devastating local seabird populations and could lead to the collapse of some colonies. Birds such as puffins, guillemots, razorbills, fulmars, and kittiwakes are particularly vulnerable if large numbers of these apex predators are released in key breeding areas.
While the return of white-tailed eagles to Britain after their extinction in 1918 is celebrated as a conservation success, proposals to release up to 60 birds in Gwent, South Wales—adding to 20 young eagles planned for release on Exmoor over the next three years—have sparked significant debate among conservation groups and scientists.
Divergent Views Among Conservation Groups
The Gwent Wildlife Trust supports the reintroduction, citing ecological benefits, while the Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales (WTSWW) opposes it due to the risk posed to stable seabird colonies on islands like Skomer and Skokholm. Skomer Island, a globally important seabird sanctuary famously featured in David Attenborough’s “Wild Isles” series, recently had a white-tailed eagle from the Exmoor release sighted overhead.
Sarah Kessell, chief executive of WTSWW, expressed alarm over growing evidence that white-tailed eagles disrupt cliff-nesting seabirds through direct predation and disturbance. She emphasized the sanctity of these islands as safe havens for seabirds already facing serious population declines nationwide, including a 20% drop in British seabird numbers over the last five years.
Scientific Evidence and Ecological Concerns
Studies highlight not only direct predation by eagles but also the larger indirect impacts caused by adult seabirds fleeing nests in fear, which exposes chicks to predators like gulls and corvids. Long-term research from northern Norway showed that increased white-tailed eagle presence hastened the loss of a kittiwake colony by several years, even when eagle numbers were low. Experts caution that similar dynamics could eventually unfold in South Wales.
Tim Birkhead, emeritus professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Sheffield who has studied seabird populations for decades, urged for careful consideration of such scientific findings and warned that enthusiasm for eagle reintroduction should not overshadow risks to seabird colonies.
Balancing Risks and Benefits
Proponents like Geoff Hilton from the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), which leads the Gwent reintroduction, argue that conservation always involves measured risks and that the white-tailed eagle, a generalist feeder, is unlikely to drastically reduce any single seabird population if releases are carefully phased to establish only seven to nine breeding pairs over ten years.
Hilton highlighted the broader ecological goal of restoring balanced ecosystems with apex predators thriving once again. However, amid ongoing illegal killings and regional differences—such as the well-established population in Scotland and fledging of the first English-born wild eagle in East Sussex in 2023—the debate continues about the appropriate pace and scale of reintroduction in Wales.
Next Steps and Public Consultation
Natural Resources Wales is currently reviewing the application to release white-tailed eagles in Gwent, with a decision expected by the end of the year. If a license is granted, a public consultation will follow from late 2026 into early 2027 before a final determination is made.
