The re-introduction of the golden eagle to Glenveagh National Park, County Donegal, Republic of Ireland

Summary

The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) had been extinct in Ireland since 1912. The Golden Eagle Trust, working with Ireland's National Parks and Wildlife Service, began re-introducing the species to Glenveagh National Park in County Donegal, chosen for its remote mountains and the presence of buzzards indicating an absence of poison baits. Following consultation with farming, tourism, and Gaeltacht community representatives to build local support, the project began in March 2000 with the first releases in August 2001, using Scottish golden eagle chicks collected at five to seven weeks old from eyries with two chicks, reared in wooden cages with minimal human contact, and fitted with wing tags and radio backpacks or, later, satellite tags. A decline in Scottish eagle productivity limited collection, so only 50 birds were released between 2001 and 2007 against an original target of 60 to 75, with further releases planned to reach that goal. The first pair to attempt breeding laid an egg in 2005; two pairs laid clutches in 2006 that failed to hatch; and in 2007, of five occupied territories, one pair successfully hatched two chicks and fledged one, the first successful golden eagle breeding in the Republic of Ireland in about a century. The project, costing roughly 473,000 euros through 2007, also helped catalyze Ireland's subsequent white-tailed eagle and red kite re-introductions. The project rated itself Partially Successful, judging it too soon to confirm an established viable breeding population despite this first successful nest.