Wild sea eagle hatching caught on camera in Cairngorms

The hatching of a wild white-tailed sea eagle has been captured on camera at a nature reserve in the Cairngorms.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) team in Scotland said it was the first time they'd ever caught live footage of a wild chick hatching in the UK.

The eaglet hatched at the Abernethy nature reserve and was filmed using a camera hidden in a stick three metres from the nest, to avoid disturbing the birds.

The chick is the baby of wild sea eagles, Shona and Finn. The two parents shared the job of sitting on the eggs and incubating them.

'Special moment'

The chick hatched at RSPB Scotland's Abernethy nature reserve on Friday

White-tailed sea eagles are the UK's largest bird of prey with a wingspan of 2.5m.

They were driven to extinction in Scotland in 1918 before birds from Scandinavia were re-introduced to the Isle of Rum in 1975.

More conservation projects followed in other parts of the country which now means there are now populations of the birds spread in Fife, Orkney and the northwest Highlands.  

The newly hatched chick is a descendant of these re-introduced birds.

The chick is the great-great grandchild of Scotland's oldest sea eagle Skye

After hatching, white-tailed eagle chicks generally remain in the nest being fed by their parents for approximately 12 weeks.

After that they remain close to the nest and dependent on their parents throughout the autumn before seeking their own territory.

Fergus Cumberland, visitor experience manager for RSPB Scotland, said: "It is a wonder to watch it all unfold.

"To see that they've hatched their first chick is incredible. We feel so privileged to have been able to witness such a special moment."

To avoid disturbing the birds, the exact location of the nest is a secret but visitors to RSPB Scotland's Loch Garten Nature Centre can view the live feed daily throughout the spring and summer.