Isle of Wight sea eagles: Police investigate after two found dead

The birds, which have a wingspan of up to 2.5m (8ft), had not been recorded in England since 1780

Two young sea eagles, from a group reintroduced on the Isle of Wight, have been found dead.

Police said one white-tailed eagle was found in Dorset in late January along with a second in the south of England.

Post-mortem and toxicological examinations are being carried out on both birds to find out how they died.

The force has appealed to anyone with information about the deaths to come forward.

Warning: This story contains an image that some readers may find upsetting

The birds are all fitted with GPS tracking devices, allowing their flight paths to be monitored. Three other eagles from the group on the island are known to be in Dorset.

The birds are part of an ongoing conservation project, run by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation.

One of the young sea eagles was found dead in Dorset in late January, police said

The project started in 2019 and sees at least six birds released annually on the Isle of Wight.

Data from the trackers has shown they explore widely, making flights of more than 100 miles (160km).

In England, they have flown as far as Norfolk and North Yorkshire, some have made journeys as far as France, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark.

Many of them return to the island after their travels.

The Isle of Wight was chosen to reintroduce the coastal loving white-tailed eagles, also known as sea eagles, as it offers an ideal habitat with plenty of fish in its surrounding waters.

They are the UK's largest bird of prey, with a wingspan of up to 8ft (2.5m) and feed mainly on fish and water birds.