A charity has called for better support to help it monitor fragile Golden eagle populations after it was confirmed that one of the rare raptors had been killed flying into a wind turbine.
In the first recorded incident of its kind in Scotland, it was confirmed this week that a fledgling eagle being monitored by the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project died after entering a wind farm in Galloway.
Scottish Renewables have said the bird’s death is “incredibly sad”, but stressed that eagles ted to stay away from well-established wind farms.
The Golden eagle was a young bird named ‘Sparky’ which was being tracked by the charity with its state-of-the-art monitoring equipment.
The Project is currently tracking more than 40 birds that the team have translocated to the area, as well as a number of locally-fledged eagles.
Sparky, a three-year-old male, which fledged from a nest in Galloway, was found 15 metres from a turbine base, with his wing detached.
The cause of the eagle’s death was confirmed by The Veterinary Investigation Centre at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) in Dumfries.
They found the bird had been in good condition, and concluded that his fatal injuries were ‘typical of those associated with a wind turbine strike.’
Dr Cat Barlow, Project Manager of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project said: “Our satellite tagging system allowed us to immediately detect that something untoward had happened to Sparky at Windy Rig Windfarm in Galloway.
“This ensured investigators could quickly recover the body before weather and wild scavengers destroyed any evidence.
“Without our team’s surveillance and ability to respond promptly, we may never have known what led to Sparky’s death. Gathering knowledge from the satellite tags is vital to ensuring the continued protection of golden eagles, and further reinforces the importance of our work to monitor golden eagles in southern Scotland.”
The South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project was initially due to conclude this year, but have decided to carry on their work under the auspices of a standalone charity named RUN (Restoring Upland Nature) from next year.
“Though sustainable energy is key to addressing the climate crisis and protecting our natural world in the long term, as Sparky’s death shows, death through wind turbine collision is a risk, so it is important that charities like ours exist to support work to mitigate risks to golden eagles – both at existing sites and when new development proposals are being considered.
“We can use our unique insights to advise decision makers, so that developments do not harm golden eagles, habitats or their prey. Through our monitoring work and technology, we are uniquely placed to do this in the south of Scotland.”
“However, support from funders and the public is absolutely crucial to allowing our work to continue.”
Michael Clarke, Chair of the South of Scotland Golden Project added: “The death of any golden eagle is extremely sad. The evidence our team gathers is essential to identifying causes of death and to mitigate future risks to the surviving population.
“Thankfully however, overall, the golden eagles translocated by the project have a high survival rate.
“Golden eagles are back to stay in the South of Scotland, and we very much hope they continue to spread from here to long-empty historical ranges across the UK, but they can only do this with the Project’s continued support.”
Morag Watson, Director of Onshore at Scottish Renewables, said: "Wind energy is one of the key technologies we are able to deploy at scale to reduce the carbon emissions which cause climate change - the greatest long-term threat to Scotland's wildlife.
“All wind farms in Scotland go through years of environmental monitoring before they are built and evidence to date has suggested golden eagles tend to avoid well-sited windfarms, so it is incredibly sad to hear about this incident.
"The renewable energy industry works closely with bodies including the Scottish Government, NatureScot, RSPB and others to better understand bird behaviour and make sure wind developments are sensitive to bird populations.”
She added: “We look forward to working with the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project and utilising its expertise to allow the onshore wind sector to play an important role in the protection of golden eagles in southern Scotland.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here