Golden eagle numbers surge in southern Scotland
- Published
Eight new chicks have been brought to a secret location in the Moffat Hills this year
A project to boost golden eagle numbers in southern Scotland has seen eight more chicks successfully moved to the area from the Highlands.
It brings the total number relocated since the scheme started to 12 - nearly doubling the local population.
The South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project brought in the first young birds to the Moffat Hills in 2018.
Project manager Cat Barlow said the latest arrivals were a big boost after delays due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Covid-19 affected so many of our plans last year, so it is absolutely amazing now to see these eight youngsters settling into the south and soaring majestically above the Moffat Hills," she said.
The first birds in the project were brought to the region in 2018
The first chicks arrived in August 2018 as part of the £1.3m scheme to increase numbers of the bird in the south of Scotland.
It was estimated at the time that there were fewer than five breeding pairs in the region.
The project suffered a setback in 2019 when one bird attacked and killed another. and plans to bring in more chicks had to be put on hold last year.
The scheme has now revealed it recently brought eight more young birds to the area.
A festival celebrating the bird is to be held in Moffat in September
WildLand Ltd donated one of the project's newest arrivals from its landholding within the Cairngorms Connect partnership area.
Director of conservation Thomas MacDonell said it was "absolutely delighted" to donate a chick to the "important work".
"The project took great care in selecting the chick for translocation and making sure she was fit for her journey south," he said.
"We, along with many others, will follow her onward journey with great interest.
"We hope she settles quickly into her new home."
The bird has become a more common sight in the skies over southern Scotland in recent years
NatureScot chief executive Francesca Osowska said the project was a "vital part" of efforts to reverse biodiversity loss and combat the climate emergency.
"With wildlife declining across the globe, it is fantastic to hear that the project has translocated so many eagle chicks this year," she said.
"Golden eagles are an exciting part of Scotland's wildlife, and we're passionate about returning them to places where they used to thrive."
The news comes ahead of the UK's first Golden Eagle Festival in Moffat.
It runs from 19 to 26 September in the Dumfries and Galloway town.
- Published22 February 2021
