June 25, 2014
Scotland

Tentsmuir sea eagle first to be killed by wind turbine

Fife Today | 24 June 2014 | www.fifetoday.co.uk

A sea eagle once frequently sighted at Tentsmuir Forest has become the first reported case to have been killed by a wind turbine since the reintroduction of the species to Scotland.

The male white-tailed eagle, known officially as Red T, was released into the wild in Fife back in 2011 as part of the East Coast Sea Eagle project. However, a “mortality signal” was picked up in February and tracked to the discovery of a carcase below a wind turbine in the Ochils.

Post mortem test results have now confirmed that collision with a turbine was the most likely cause of death.

Red T was described by the project as one of the most “interesting” personalities among the released birds and was one of the most frequently spotted, with people seeing him across Levenmouth shortly after his release and later at Tentsmuir Forest. He then spent time on Carsebreck Loch near Braco and Glen Lednock near Comrie.

Meanwhile the RSPB this week announced that a white-tailed eagle chick had successfully hatched in Fife for the second year running. More than 20 volunteers are protecting the site from accidental or deliberate disturbance.

Richard Evans, of RSPB, said while man-made hazards were perils for the eagles, the illegal killing of birds of prey still posed the most significant threat to the long-term re-establishment of the species.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/06/25/tentsmuir-sea-eagle-first-to-be-killed-by-wind-turbine/