History has been made in Waterford with the first confirmed birth of a white-tailed eagle chick in the county for more than two centuries.
The breakthrough comes as part of Ireland’s national reintroduction programme, which has been working since 2007 to restore the once-extinct bird of prey to Irish skies.
The announcement was made on WLR by John Power, chairperson of Waterford for Nature (WFN), who confirmed that a pair of reintroduced white-tailed eagles, known locally as K and L, have successfully bred on the lower River Blackwater.
“This is the first white-tailed eagle breeding success in County Waterford in upwards of 200 years,” Power said. “We are absolutely thrilled.”
Once widespread across Ireland, the species was driven to extinction in the 19th century, largely due to human persecution. Since 2007, 245 young eagles sourced from Norway have been released in Ireland by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Breeding pairs have since established themselves in Clare, Cork, Tipperary and Galway, and now, finally, in Waterford.
The two adult eagles, identifiable by their wing tags—K (male) and L (female)—were released in Waterford in 2021. For the past four years, volunteers from WFN have been monitoring their movements along the Blackwater estuary, the Knockmealdowns, and even into East Cork.
Last week, a local wildlife photographer spotted the pair with a juvenile eagle showing the telltale dark tail feathers of a fledgling. Experts confirmed that this young bird is indeed their chick.
Conservationists are urging the public to give the birds space and not to disturb their nesting area, which remains undisclosed for protection. White-tailed eagles are vulnerable to poisoning and shooting—threats that have claimed lives in other counties.
“These are magnificent apex predators,” Power stressed. “They play a crucial role in biodiversity, feeding on fish and waterfowl. They’re a fabulous addition to our landscape, and we must protect them.”
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