Five new chicks hatched by Co Clare white-tailed eagles

'We are delighted to see this eagle that we know well form a new bond and start a new family' said Eamonn Meskell of the NPWS

The five chicks are the offspring of reintroduced white-tailed eagles. Two of them are the chicks of a male eagle that had lived alone for four years after the death of its first mate, but who has since bonded with another female. Picture: National Park and Wildlife Service/PA

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is celebrating the hatching of five new white-tailed eagle chicks in Co Clare.

The NPWS said the newly hatched chicks come from the bonding of eagles released under the white-tailed eagle reintroduction project, which aims to bring the species back to Ireland.

Of particular note, a previously “widowed” male eagle that had been without a partner for four years has recently bonded with another female that was released in 2020.

The male eagle was originally released in Killarney National Park in 2008 and set up territory with a female from that batch, making a nest in the Lough Derg area.

In 2013, this pair nested successfully and fledged a pair of chicks — the first new white-tailed eagles in more than 110 years in Ireland.

Eamonn Meskell of the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Howard Jones of Kerry Airport bringing newly-arrived white-tailed sea eagles to Killarney National Park in 2020. Picture: Domnick Walsh

After fledging chicks for four years the female died of avian flu in 2018.

The male eagle then lived alone in East Clare for the past four years until he recently paired up with his new partner and welcomed two new chicks, the NPWS said.

The female comes from a batch of 16 chicks collected from wild nests in Norway and sent to Ireland for the release programme in 2020.

She was released at a site in Lough Derg but flew back to Scotland. However, she returned to Ireland six months later and bonded with the widowed male. The pair built a nest on an island in Lough Derg in February of this year.

Eamonn Meskell, who leads the NPWS white-tailed eagle reintroduction project, said the project was very familiar with these eagles after monitoring them for so long: 

“We have been monitoring these eagles for many years and of course we feel very familiar with their history as part of the project. 

The male eagle has been single for four years since his previous partner died.

“Of course, the fact that he has now found and bred with a new partner is significant to our project but we’re also delighted to see this eagle that we know well make a new bond and start a new family,” he said.

“A story like this really brings our reintroduction programme to life, as it helps people to learn about eagle breeding behaviour and the fragility of our reintroduction efforts, all told through the story of a widowed eagle.”

He said any new chick was a milestone and showed the project’s success.

At a separate site in Co Clare, three other chicks reared by one of the offspring of the male eagle and its previous partner were observed and tagged by the NPWS in recent days.

The NPWS said this female offspring reared 10 chicks which are spread around the island of Ireland, now themselves forming pairs.

Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan said the successful hatching “symbolises the patience and careful planning” of the reintroduction project.

“It gives us great hope and encouragement for the project which we always knew would take time and perseverance,” he said.

He added: “The news from Clare today of five chicks born to eagles from both phases of the reintroduction programme — and indeed to their offspring — shows why our continued efforts, perseverance and hope can lead not just to lovely stories such as this, but to hope and good news for nature."