Golden eagles breed in Scottish Highlands for 1st time in 40 years

Golden eagles have successfully bred at a 10,000-acre "rewilding" estate in the Scottish Highlands for the first time in 40 years, reported Xinhua, quoting a London-based newspaper.

An eagle pair reared the chick at an artificial eyrie on the Dundreggan estate, according to the Evening Standard.

The Dundreggan estate manager, Doug Gilbert, described the event as a "rewilding success story beyond our wildest dreams", said the newspaper.

The nest was made from native pines and birch trees that cover the mountain slopes, and was built in the hope that a pair of golden eagles would mate, with Gilbert checking the eyrie every spring for the last five years, according to the report.

Formerly, the estate was used for deer stalking, but populations have been reduced so trees can grow again, with "golden eagle-friendly" mountaintop forests replanted featuring waist-high, tough, "wee trees", such as dwarf birch and downy willow.

There has also been a recorded increase in black grouse, which is an important food source for golden eagles, said the newspaper.

Golden eagles, which are very sensitive to disturbance, have been making a slow recovery in Scotland, but they continue to be threatened by illegal persecution, with eagles reportedly shot or poisoned.