A golden eagle chick has become the first to fledge from a nest on a managed grouse moor in the south of Scotland. The bird - Beaky Junior - hatched in a nest in a secret location in the Moffat Hills, at a site used for recreational gamebird shooting. It comes after a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) report revealed that two-thirds of UK persecution incidents involving birds of prey had occurred at similar sites.
And it is being considered a "hugely significant milestone" by those running a project to boost golden eagle numbers in the region. Dr Cat Barlow, chief executive of Restoring Upland Nature (Run) which is behind the scheme, said they had received "incredible support" from landowners and gamekeepers. The project to relocate birds from the Highlands to a secret location in the Moffat Hills started in the summer of 2018.
Numbers in the south of Scotland had fallen to a handful of breeding pairs but they are now at a record level of more than 50 - despite some setbacks. Birds have been shot at or killed and that is why the birth of Beaky Junior - one of five golden eagle chicks successfully fledged in the area this year - is being seen as so significant, since it happened on a managed grouse moor. Golden eagles flourish despite deaths and disappearances Golden eagle released in conservation project shot with 17 pellets Earlier this year, the RSPB report highlighted 182 confirmed persecution incidents involving birds of prey in Scotland over a 10-year period.
It said they were widely scattered across the country but the majority - 64.3% - had occurred on land managed for gamebird shooting. Against that backdrop, the efforts in southern Scotland to encourage estates and conservationists to work together are seen as particularly important. Beaky Junior was even named by local gamekeepers in recognition of the "key role" they have played in helping golden eagles thrive.
Barlow explained: "It is wonderful to see a golden eagle hatch, fledge and fly freely from the newly-established nest of a translocated golden eagle that has made its home on a managed grouse moor in the Southern Uplands. "This reflects the incredible support we have had from landowners and gamekeepers – from translocations in the Highlands, to continued monitoring and protection of birds and eyries on their lands and estates. "Indeed their support has been absolutely vital to our success in restoring the population of golden eagles to record numbers." She said the fledging of five chicks from the nests of birds they had translocated to southern Scotland was a "hugely significant milestone".
Barlow added that it gave "genuine hope" in the battle to reverse biodiversity decline and ensure future generations across Scotland, England and Wales could experience the "incredible sense of awe" when seeing a golden eagle. Michael Clarke, who chairs Run, said individuals from "all walks of life" had helped the birds to thrive. He added that they would continue to monitor the impact of the golden eagles on the area "with support of land managers, gamekeepers, farmers and the wider community".
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