UK's Largest Bird Of Prey Returns To England For First Time In 240 Years

European populations of the sea eagle also suffered from heavy persecution, which led to significant declines and extinction in several countries, according to Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). But thanks to Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation this lost species is making a comeback. Last summer, six young white-tailed eagles were released on the Isle of Wight as part of a five-year project to restore the species to southern England. The birds were collected from the wild in Scotland, where the species was reintroduced in the 1970s under a similar scheme, before they were brought to the island. They have been fitted with GPS trackers and the team behind the programme have been tracking four of the young birds as they make their first trips. The satellite data has given the team fascinating insights into the behaviour of the birds, who were largely sedentary over winter but have begun to explore further afield, including Norfolk, Kent and Somerset, now spring has arrived. Two of the eagles, G393, a male, and G318, a female, flew as far the North York Moors. The pair stayed in the national park for days, but also took a trip out to the coast where they spent four hours exploring a 12-mile stretch between Whitby and Saltburn-by-Sea.