Flu hits breeding rate of UK's largest bird of prey

Conservationists fearfulness avian flu has damaged the breeding occurrence of white-tailed oversea eagles - the UK's largest vertebrate of prey.

NatureScot said caller investigation suggested the proportionality of eagles rearing young successful Scotland had dropped from 67% successful 2021 to 45% past year.

The nationalist bureau said it was suspected the raptors had caught oregon scavenged connected birds infected with the virus.

It said the aureate eagle, different ample vertebrate of prey, was besides suffering.

The proportionality of aureate eagle pairs rearing young was recovered to person declined from 48% successful 2021 to 28%.

The largest declines recorded for some eagle taxon were successful Lewis and Harris successful the Western Isles.

Analysis suggested the breeding occurrence of aureate eagles fell from 55% to 16%, and for white-tailed eagles it dropped from 66% to 24%.

The survey by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) utilized information from the Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme.

Avian flu has decimated seabird populations astir Scotland's coast, including gannets connected Bass Rock and skuas successful Shetland.

The archetypal cases of the flu successful birds of prey were detected successful November 2021, and by April 2022 determination were affirmative tests results for a scope of species.

John Allan, NatureScot ornithology advisor, said: "Scotland inactive has beardown eagle populations but these findings are precise concerning.

"So acold we person had less affirmative trial results among birds of prey this twelvemonth than past year, but it is aboriginal successful the play and we can't beryllium complacent.

"We mean to repetition this investigation successful 2023 to spot if breeding occurrence begins to improve."

Mark Wilson, acting caput of subject for BTO Scotland, said laboratory tests for the microorganism successful dormant birds of prey had shown that avian flu could termination some big and nestling raptors.