A pair of white-tailed sea eagles have successfully bred on Killarney’s largest lake, the lower lake, Lough Léin for the fifth successive year.
It is estimated there are now approximately 150 individual eagles in Ireland in the wild, enough to maintain and self-sustain the population, according to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
Although so far this year the exact number of chicks born in the wild is unknown, there are 17 known pairs in total.
This week two juvenile chicks fledged the nest, and are finding their bearings along the shoreline at the westernmost end of the lake.
The white-tailed sea eagle programme with collaboration between the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research and the NPWS began in Killarney in 2007 when chicks were flown from Trondheim to Farranfore Airport in Kerry on a special flight.
Two juvenile chicks fledged the nest this week (Photo credit: Valerie O’Sullivan)
Initial opposition by sheep farmers has given way to a programme of collaboration between the NPWS and local farmers in Kerry and elsewhere.
Poisoning, involving in some cases illegal substances in carrion left in fields however remains the biggest threat to the birds.
“The misuse/illegal use of poisons accounts for nearly 50% of eagle deaths where the cause of mortality was able to be determined.
“Other causes of death include wind turbine strikes, lead shot poisoning and shooting. Avian Influenza and adverse weather also negatively impacted the breeding population,” it said.
Some 245 chicks have been reintroduced since last year, and have bred and have dispersed widely.
The first breeding occurred in 2012 on Lough Derg.
One of the white tail sea eagles showing full wingspan (Photo credit: Valerie O’Sullivan)
The eagles have also settled well in the Monterey pines on Garnish Island in Glengarriff, Co Cork and are a regular sight for visitors on the approach.
“NPWS and Killarney National Park are always grateful for the help and co-operation of the local anglers, commercial boatmen and tourist interests in the town for keeping an eagle eye on the precious eagles.
“Killarney National Park will always be a special place for the white-tailed eagle, when the reintroduction programme began in the park in 2007,” a spokeswoman said on behalf of Eamonn Meskell, Divisional Manager with the NPWS.