Golden eagle  (Aquila chrysaetos)

Widespread persecution of this eagle throughout the 18th and 19th centuries led to the UK population reaching a low of just 80 breeding pairs by 1870 (3). Poisoning and egg collecting were the main threats, unfortunately despite legal protection, isolated incidences of both still occur to today (6). Commercial tree-planting is also thought to be a threat due to the disruption of habitat, and this appears to have been the factor leading to the loss of a number of breeding pairs in Argyll and Kintyre in the early 1990s (3). Habitat destruction and persecution are factors involved in the continuing decline of this species in some parts of Europe (3).

Persecution of this species began to decline after 1870. Coupled with the introduction of the Protection of Wild Birds Act 1954, this helped the British population of the golden eagle to start its recovery. This species is now protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. As a result of the listing of this bird under Annex I of the EC Birds Directive, eight sites in Scotland have been designated as Special Protection Areas (SPAs) in order to protect the golden eagle (3). The species also occurs in three reserves owned by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and so this magnificent raptor benefits from suitable management and protection at a number of sites (6).