“The world is grown so bad that wrens make prey where eagles dare not perch.” So wrote Shakespeare in Richard III, in a line of social commentary that feels ever more relevant with age.
A note of good news then, in a world of so much bad, that the eagles the Bard was probably referring to could finally be reintroduced to England after more than 150 years.
The golden eagle, which was common in Shakespearean England – and which he mentioned more than 40 times, according to some scholars – has been largely absent from the country’s skies, with only a handful of pairs seen in the past 150 years.
The majestic bird of prey with a 2-metre wingspan has been effectively extinct in England since the last native golden eagle is thought to have died in 2015, having lived alone in the Lake District. Their decline was largely due to centuries of persecution from gamekeepers and farmers, who viewed them as a threat to lambs and game birds.
They are occasionally seen in areas such as Northumberland, crossing from southern Scotland where there is a growing population of the birds. But a study by Forestry England, published on Sunday, found that England now has the capacity to sustain golden eagle populations once again.
The paper identified eight potential “recovery zones” as the most suitable areas, mostly in the north of England, although it could take more than a decade until breeding populations are established in the area.
In response to the study, the environment secretary, Emma Reynolds, approved £1m in additional species recovery funding to help pave the way for a programme that could mean juveniles aged six to eight weeks old are released as early as next year.
Reynolds said: “This government is committed to protecting and restoring our most threatened native wildlife – and that includes bringing back iconic species like the golden eagle.
“Backed by £1m of government funding, we will work alongside partners and communities to make the golden eagle a feature of English landscapes once again.”
In southern Scotland, golden eagle populations have recovered to record numbers because of a major project to restore their populations in the area. Satellite tracking indicates that some of these translocated birds have already begun to fly across the border and explore northern England, the government said.
It is hoped the new funding will help to support these birds to settle south of the border, coupled with targeted reintroductions. Forestry England found that Scottish birds could be seen across northern England within 10 years, but it will take longer for breeding golden eagles to become established in England.
Mike Seddon, Forestry England’s chief executive, said: “The detailed findings of our feasibility study will guide us, with our partners, Restoring Upland Nature, to take the next steps to explore the recovery of golden eagles in northern England.
“This [Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)] funding means we can build on the good work we have begun, taking the time to build support and engage with local communities, landowners and land managers and conservation organisations.”
The funding comes as part of the £60m in species recovery funding announced by Defra last week. It ties in to work aimed at meeting the UK’s legally binding target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030 and reduce species extinction risk by 2042 against 2022 levels.
