White-tailed sea eagle
Description: In 1722 Bishop Wilson provided the first historical reference to this species breeding on the Isle of Man, writing that the island has 'one airy of eagles'. This eyrie was on a precipice, 60 metres above the sea at a site known as Eairnyerey or Ernery on the steep coastal brooghs below Lhiattee ny Beinnee near Fleshwick. It is thought that the pair died in a snow storm in 1815.
The next sighting of this species was not until 1907 when this immature individual was shot at Greeba on 12th December 1907 after being pursued in the area for 2 or 3 weeks. In the early 20th century this species was exterminated from across the entire British Isles by human persecution. It is now making a comeback thanks to reintroductions in Scotland, Ireland and England. In January 2020 a young Irish-born and satellite tagged bird arrived from the Mull of Galloway on the Calf of Man before moving up the west Manx coast where the species had not been seen in two hundred years. Named Aonghus, he spent a short period here before flying to Scotland. There are currently no plans for a reintroduction.
Date found: 1907-12-12
Taxonomic name: Haliaeetus albicilla
Collection: Natural History Zoology Collection
ID number: 1954-1858
Subject tags : #MM100COLLECTIONS