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Rare White-Tailed Eagle Spotted Far from Home in UK
17 Aug
Summary
- Rare sighting of white-tailed eagle in Cumbria, UK
- Eagle identified as G818, released on Isle of Wight in 2021
- Eagle spent summer in Scottish Highlands, now heading south
On August 17, 2025, birdwatchers in Stainmore, on the border between Cumbria and County Durham, were treated to a rare sighting of one of the largest birds of prey in the UK. The white-tailed eagle, identified as G818, a female eagle originally released on the Isle of Wight in 2021, has been spotted far from its usual breeding ground.
According to Tim Mackrill, an ornithologist for the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, a number of white-tailed eagles pass through Cumbria each year, but sightings are considered "rare." G818 had spent the summer in the Scottish Highlands and is now making her way down to the south coast, where the foundation hopes she will find a mate and settle.
There are currently three established pairs of white-tailed eagles on the south coast as a result of the reintroduction program, with two of the pairs breeding successfully this summer. The foundation is optimistic that G818 will join them and contribute to the growing population of this majestic bird of prey in the UK.
