News

Minister O’Sullivan calls for co-operation in the investigation of the possible poisoning of a white-tailed eagle

Date Released: Friday, May 30, 2025

• Caimin (Y) was one of the first chicks to be released as part of an NPWS Reintroduction Programme
• The National Parks and Wildlife Service appeals to the public for information

An investigation is underway following the discovery of one of Ireland’s oldest breeding White-tailed eagles, Caimin (Y) who was found dead in Clare last Saturday. Initial post mortem results from the Regional Veterinary Laboratory indicate a possible death from poisoning.

Caimin held territory at the Mountshannon nest site on Lough Derg for the past seventeen years. During that time, he mated and fledged a number of chicks. He was one of the first chicks to arrive as part of an NPWS Reintroduction Programme to bring back this formerly extinct species to Irish skies and was released from Killarney National Park in 2008. All of the white-tailed eagle chicks reintroduced under the programme are fitted with satellite tags, which enables them to be monitored and tracked.

In 2013, Camin mated with Saoirshe, a female eagle who was also part of the Reintroduction Programme. They became the first white-tailed eagles to successfully raise and fledge chicks in the wild in Ireland in over one hundred years. Caimin raised and fledged chicks into the wild until 2016, when Saoirshe died of Avian Influenza.  He held the territory and mated again with Bernardine (B) in 2023 to successfully fledge more chicks to the wild from the same nest site in Mountshannon. Despite the loss of her mate, Bernardine is continuing to raise a chick on the nest site in Mountshannon. 

Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD said:

“Any loss in the wild not due to natural causes, is usually the result of human activity and this tragic loss of a wonderfully aged bird, breeding happily in the Irish wild, is deeply regrettable.

The Reintroduction Programme had been making significant progress in restoring this lost flagship species to Irish skies. These birds are part of Ireland’s natural heritage and are important for our biodiversity, as they are a good indicator species regarding the health of our ecosystems.

We will continue with our efforts to introduce, nurture and protect these birds and I have tasked the NPWS with leaving no stone unturned to try to get to the bottom of this heinous potential crime.”

Eamonn Meskell, Divisional Manager, NPWS said

“The knowing destruction of this wonderful bird of prey displays a wanton disregard for our re-introduction and nature protection efforts.

These noble birds are beloved of the public and each loss is keenly felt by them and indeed by the staff of NPWS who have nurtured these birds from chicks to fledglings, onto adult life and into successfully breeding pairs. We know we can rely on the public’s help in this investigation” 

The main threat to the species in Ireland is persecution, predominantly through shooting and the illegal use of poison and wind turbine strikes. The misuse/illegal use of poisons accounts for nearly 50% of eagle deaths where the cause of mortality was able to be determined. Other causes of death include wind turbine strikes, lead shot poisoning and shooting. Avian Influenza and adverse weather also negatively impacted the breeding population.

If you have any information, please notify your local Garda station or your local National Parks and Wildlife Service office.

Further Information

White-tailed Eagles formerly bred across Ireland but are now one of our rarest species and listed as species of Conservation Concern. The wings have fingered tips and as their name suggests, they have a short white tail which has a distinctive wedge shape.  The head and neck are pale, almost white in mature birds, although juveniles are dark brown, and do not attain full adult plumage until 4-5 years of age.  They have a hooked yellow beak, piercing golden eyes and their legs and talons are yellow.

White-tailed Eagles largely eat fish, but also take various birds, rabbits and hares. Carrion is an important part of their diet, especially during the winter months.

White-tailed eagles lay 1-3 eggs in late March-early April, which are then incubated for 38-40 days by both parents.  For the first two to three weeks after hatching the female mainly broods the chicks and the male does the majority of the hunting, after which time the female will also take turns to hunt.  Chicks fledge after 10-12 weeks and remain reliant on their parents for a further 5-6 weeks. 

The Irish White-tailed Eagle Reintroduction Programme is a long-term initiative to re-establish a population of this extinct species in Ireland being carried out by the NPWS. Under the programme, 200 white-tailed eagles have been brought to Ireland from Norway and released over two phases of the project.