Forty satellite tags will soon be fitted to sea eagles across western Scotland as part of a collaborative research project to improve understanding of how the birds interact with livestock.

Funded by NatureScot, the project will bring together a team of researchers and conservation organisations to assess the extent of sea eagle predation of lambs and sheep, while also gathering information on the movement and behaviour of both adult and juvenile birds.

Researchers will analyse GPS data collected from the tags to build a clearer picture of Scotland’s sea eagle population and how the birds use the countryside.

Over the next two years, licensed ornithologists will fit up to 35 satellite tags to sea eagle chicks when they are around eight weeks old, before they leave the nest, with the tags expected to provide information on where the young birds travel after fledging.

Tagging will take place within Argyll, the Highlands and the Western Isles.

The project also aims to fit the remaining five tags to adult breeding sea eagles, following the successful capture, tagging and release of an adult bird in the Western Isles earlier this year using techniques developed with European counterparts.

The partnership brings together NatureScot, RSPB Scotland, Scotland’s Rural College, Natural Research Ltd and a collective of independent ornithologists, with policy input from NFU Scotland and the Scottish Crofting Federation.

Alongside the tagging work, Scotland’s Rural College is carrying out separate research using GPS collars on lambs in Argyll, with both projects expected to provide a broader understanding of how sea eagles and livestock interact.

Sea eagles became extinct in Scotland in the early twentieth century following persecution by humans before being successfully reintroduced, initially on the Isle of Rum between 1975 and 1985, with the population now established once again across much of western Scotland.

NatureScot Senior Ornithologist Andrew Stevenson said:

“This project will greatly add to our understanding of how sea eagles move around and their interaction with livestock.

“A key gap in our knowledge is what role immature eagles play in predating livestock, given they wander widely during their first three to four years until they settle on a territory.

“Tagging is the best way to get a handle on what they may be doing.

“While this collaborative partnership began because of the need for more information about livestock predation, the tag data will also help us understand how eagles use habitat, as well as other topics such as interaction with wind farms.”

Duncan Orr-Ewing, Head of Species and Land Management RSPB Scotland and Research Group Chair, said:

“Gathering evidence on the behaviour and movements of sea eagles is essential to create common understanding, and to inform future conservation and land management decisions.

“Latest technology in the form of GPS trackers fitted to Sea eagles can help deliver such outcomes sitting also alongside other initiatives being taken forward by the National Sea Eagle Stakeholder Group.

“The collaborative partnership approach to this project involving NatureScot, expert researchers, farming representatives and conservationists is very welcome, and we hope to present the results in due course.”

Georgia Watson, NFU Scotland Policy Manager for Climate, Land and Business, said:

“NFU Scotland supports this satellite tagging project as a vital step towards building a clear, shared evidence base on sea eagle behaviour.

“For farmers and crofters in affected areas, understanding when and where interactions with livestock occur is critical.

“This research must lead to practical, targeted management solutions that give farmers confidence that impacts on livestock are being properly recognised and addressed.”

Scottish Crofting Federation Chief Executive Donna Smith said:

“Crofters are reporting increased sightings and issues with sea eagles each year so this research is a very welcome development.

“Building a greater understanding of how the sea eagles are interacting with livestock will hopefully lead to improved targeting of management measures in the future.

“We therefore look forward to supporting the research in whatever way we can and to seeing the findings in due course.”

The research group will report periodically to the National Sea Eagle Stakeholder Group, with NatureScot providing updates as the project progresses.