The golden eagle was once a common occurrence in the skies above the Orkney Islands in Scotland. By 1848, however, only a single pair remained in the area. The country had to wait until 1966 to see the return of the first pair of breeding golden eagles, one of which died in 1982.
Now, conservationists have confirmed the good news that another pair of golden eagles have successfully hatched chicks at a nest on the island of Hoy, the first in the region in almost 40 years.
Staff from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in Scotland spotted the pair nesting at the organization’s nature reserve, and have been able to confirm that the birds’ family has just gotten bigger.
Since golden eagles are extremely sensitive to disturbance, the number of chicks is not known yet as those watching it have been keeping their distance. For the same reason, the location of the birds has not yet been revealed.
“It is wonderful to see these magnificent eagles return to Orkney and we’re delighted that they are nesting in Hoy,” said RSPB Scotland’s Hoy warden Lee Shields. “We want to give these birds the best chance of success which is why it’s so important to not reveal where the nest is. It is an inspiring sight to see the male and female soaring over the Hoy hills, and we’re eagerly awaiting finding out how many chicks they have.”
