White-tailed sea eagle illegally poisoned in Connemara
A white-tailed sea eagle found dead in its nest at the start of the month was poisoned, tests have confirmed.
The illegal killing in Connemara is the 13th to hit Ireland’s reintroduction programme since it began in 2007.
Officials revealed the bird, which had mated, was found dead on April 1 by a conservation ranger and she was only days away from laying eggs.
Heather Humphreys, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, said the loss of a valuable bird to the breeding programme was a huge blow.
“This is a very serious incident as the killing of this breeding female has effectively put an end to any breeding attempt of this beautiful species in west Galway for at least another five years,” she said.
“It is particularly disappointing considering this bird was due to lay eggs shortly.”
The Department’s National Parks and Wildlife Service removed the bird from the nest the day after the discovery and subsequently toxicology tests have confirmed it was poisoned.
Officials say poisoning – generally intended to kill foxes or crows but banned since 2010 – remains the greatest threat to the re-introduction of white-tailed eagles in Ireland.
The dead bird was released in Killarney National Park in 2009 and settled in Connemara in 2012. Eggs she laid last year failed to hatch, as is common with first time mothers.
Releases of more than 100 white-tailed eagles took place from 2007 in Killarney National Park with the final 23 birds released in August 2011.
The majestic birds of prey breed from about year five and seven pairs laid eggs in nests in the wild in 2014.
