Should Britain’s largest bird of prey be reintroduced to the Suffolk coast?
The white-tailed eagle may soon take to the wing over the Suffolk coast if reintroduction plans by conservationists are successful. A three-year feasibility study of eastern England by Natural England, the RSPB and the Forestry Commission has identified Suffolk as the most favourable location for a possible release of Britain’s largest raptor, also known as the sea eagle. Experts say there is much archaeological and cultural evidence to suggest that the bird of prey was widely found in lowland England, before hunted to extinction in England in the early 19th century. In 1918, Britain’s last white-tailed eagle was shot in the Shetland Islands. Dr Tom Tew, Natural England’s chief scientist, said that their analysis of the Suffolk coast had produced favourable results, due largely to a string of wetland habitats stretching from the Wash down to the Thames Estuary. The conditions found here are almost identical to areas of Europe where white-tailed eagles thrive. “The task now is to ensure
