In addition to the Norwegian chicks who travel to Ireland to be released, the program has also been tracking chicks born to breeding pairs in Ireland, something which has become increasingly noticeable as the eagles have matured in the second phase of the programme.
The first Irish-bred sea eagle was born in 2020 in Cork by a young female that had paired up with an older male that came from Frøya in 2007. The following year, the first of several triplets were also born.
“Triplets are a rarity among sea eagles, and it is also unusual that they breed at such a young age as we have seen in Ireland. This shows how favorable the conditions are there,” said Dr Halley at the time of these births.
Most recently, we marked the first birth of a white tailed eagle in Waterford in over 150 years. Another significant milestone was a pair originally released in Country Clare migrating across the country and nesting in County Fermanagh, over 100km away. Seeing a pair migrate to Fermanagh and breeding is a strong sign the project will continue to be successful long term.