Isle of Wight sea eagles: Two return to island

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

Two rare sea eagles have returned to the Isle of Wight after flying a total of more than 10,000 miles (17,000km).

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

The charity said their return to the island after reaching as far as northern Scotland was "encouraging".

It comes after three other white-tailed eagles were found dead in separate locations so far this year.

GPS data showed the two birds travelled as far as Cornwall, Norfolk and the north of Scotland

The birds are all fitted with GPS tracking devices, allowing their flight paths to be monitored.

One bird has returned to the Isle of Wight after 17 months away, during which he travelled 6,800 miles (10,978km).

Last month another bird also made it back after spending most of 2021 in northern Scotland, and flying 4,000 miles (6,463km).

"This is exactly the time we expect birds of their age to start to return," the trust said.

Data from other birds has previously shown they have flown as far as Norfolk and North Yorkshire, some have made journeys as far as France, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark.

Police in Hampshire and Dorset are currently investigating the deaths of three birds found in January and February.

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

They are the UK's largest bird of prey, with a wingspan of up to 8ft (2.5m).