A further 12 white-tailed eagles have been released on the Isle of Wight.

It marks the next stage of one of England’s landmark conservation projects.

Begun in 2019 the project, led by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, a five year programme of eagle releases from the Isle of Wight is taking place.

The project released six birds in 2019 followed by a further seven last year.

Ten of the 13 birds previously released have survived and are doing well.

White-tailed eagles are Britain’s largest birds of prey with a wingspan of up to 2.5 metres and were once widespread across England until human persecution wiped them out.

The reintroduction project is bringing them back after an absence of over 240 years by releasing up to 60 birds over the five years.

It aims to establish an initial population of six to eight pairs with breeding activity not expected to start until 2024 at the earliest.

Each bird is fitted with a satellite tracker to enable the team to monitor and track their progress.

As expected, the previously released birds have explored widely, taking many journeys across Britain as they build up their knowledge of the landscape.

One bird released in 2020 crossed the English Channel earlier this year and has since spent time in France, The Netherlands, Germany and Denmark.

There have also been several sightings in southern England of white-tailed eagles from Europe, raising hopes that some of these wandering birds will pair up with those released on the Isle of Wight in years to come.

Connecting white-tailed eagle populations in this way, is a key long-term aim of the project.

The tracking data shows the birds consistently return to the Isle of Wight.

This means they see the Island and the surrounding coastline as their home and is an encouraging indicator for potential successful breeding conditions in the future.

Two birds in particular, G324 and G274 have already formed a close and lasting pairing and are showing some signs of territorial behaviours with other eagles.

Last winter fish remained a key prey item, with the eagles catching bass off the south-west coast, as well as pirating fish from gulls and cormorants.

Grey mullet is plentiful during the spring and summer in the estuaries around the south coast and has been an important prey item through the past two years.

These abundant food supplies around the coasts of the Isle of Wight were one of the key reasons the area was selected for the reintroduction project.

Bird enthusiasts and members of the public across the country have supported the project by reporting sightings of the eagles and sharing these via @seaeagleengland on social media or via the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation website.

Steve Egerton-Read, Island-based eagle project officer for Forestry England, said: “Over the last three years we have closely tracked the progress of these incredible birds.

"It’s still a real thrill for me to see these incredible birds in the skies above the Isle of Wight and I look forward to the day that they are re-established right across southern England.”

The reintroduction of white-tailed eagles is being conducted under licence from Natural England, the Government’s wildlife licensing authority. All of the young birds involved in the project are collected under a NatureScot licence from Scotland and brought to the Isle of Wight.