View sea eagles on Mull

White-tailed sea eagles are Britain’s largest bird of prey. They became extinct in Britain in 1918 but changes in legislation created an opportunity for their reintroduction and in 1975 82 were transported from Norway to the Isle of Rum. More were released on the mainland and breeding has been successful with between 80-90 individual birds now living in Scotland.

Sea Eagle

Feeding Habits

Off the coast of Mull is a great place to spot the magnificent white-tailed sea eagles. There are around 20 eagles on the island. When these huge birds of prey aren’t soaring on the thermals, we sometimes see the spectacular sight of them swooping down to the surface and grabbing fish with their talons which is always spectacular and a real thrill to watch.

Sea eagles are skilled hunters and, unsurprisingly, feed mainly on fish but they do have a varied diet and will often eat carrion and small mammals occasionally. Some will also scavenge and steal food from other birds and otters.

Sea Eagles are fairly common sight and Golden Eagles are often spotted also but it largely depends on the weather whether we will see any on one of our trips. A day with scattered showers is most likely to yield good sightings as the eagles come out from the trees and cliff ledges to feed, preferring to stay sheltered when it’s raining.

(Photo credit: Jacob Spinks, Flickr)