Cairngorms eagle chicks fitted with new type of tag
- Published
One of three chicks fitted with a tag in the Cairngorms
Conservationists hope a new type of electronic tag will provide new insights - and better protection from persecution - to birds of prey.
Three golden eagle chicks have been fitted with the devices, which send data on their movements via mobile phone and satellite networks.
The tags have an alert system which is activated if a bird dies.
Three estates in the Cairngorms National Park are involved in the tagging project.
It was developed and funded by the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) and public body NatureScot.
Conservationists hope the tags will offer more detailed information about the eagles' movements and behaviour.
They said the dual communication system and inbuilt alert would help combat persecution. The tags have the ability to detect unusual behaviour and send alerts with accurate locations.
Conservationists, police, land managers and the Scottish government have been seeking to tackle deliberate killing of birds of prey.
In March, the poisoning of a golden eagle in Aberdeenshire was investigated by police.
RSPB Scotland said a dead mountain hare had also been found nearby, laced with poison.
An eagle chick being tagged
Dr Pete Mayhew, of CNPA, said: "The more we know about golden eagles in the Cairngorms National Park - from fledging through to acquiring their own territories - the better we can conserve and enhance their populations for the future."
Will Anderson, of Seafield and Strathspey Estates, added: "We are very proud of our raptor populations here and as a result we are involved in several tagging projects.
"We are particularly pleased to be partnering with the park authority in this initiative as the type and volume of data collected is likely to be incredibly beneficial to be able to plan for the future with the birds' needs in mind."
The Cairngorms National Park - which covers parts of the Highlands, Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perthshire and Angus - is home to a range of birds of prey including hen harriers and peregrine falcons.