UK’s oldest white-tailed eagle dies aged 32
One expert described Frisa as ‘a very special bird who had touched the hearts of millions’.
The UK’s oldest wild white-tailed eagle has died in Scotland at the age of 32, RSPB Scotland has announced.
The eagle, a female named Frisa, hatched on Mull in 1992 and paired up with her long-term mate Skye in 1997.
The pair raised their first chick on the island in 1998, and went on to raise a total of 25 chicks in their 28 years of partnership.
Frisa was known to “millions” thanks to appearances in a number of BBC programmes over the last two decades, beginning with the very first episode of Springwatch in 2005.
Her death was announced on the latest episode of the programme on June 2.
RSPB ambassador Dave Sexton, who spent 21 of his 36-year RSPB career working with white-tailed eagles on Mull, described Frisa as “a very special bird who had touched the hearts of millions who saw her both on TV and in the wild”.
He added: “As Frisa got on in years, I dreaded the day I would visit her territory and find her gone.
“Sadly, that day has come and I feel like I’ve lost a friend.
“But what a wonderful life she had with her mate Skye. Together they raised 25 chicks, many of which are now breeding far and wide across Scotland.
“She was a true icon for white-tailed eagles and she’ll always hold a special place in my heart.”
RSPB Scotland said Frisa has not been seen since last year, leading experts to believe she has died either of natural causes, or following an altercation with another eagle.
Skye has also been spotted with another younger female eagle on Mull, which further suggests that Frisa has passed away as white-tailed eagles mate for life.
At 31 years of age, Skye now takes on the mantle as the UK’s oldest wild white-tailed eagle.
Frisa’s mother Blondie successfully raised the very first white-tailed eagle to fledge in Scotland following the reintroduction of the species in 1975.
The species previously became extinct in the UK in 1918 when the last known native wild bird was shot in Shetland.
A reintroduction project on the Isle of Rum using chicks donated from Norway has since seen the species re-establish a self-sustaining population in Scotland.
There are now estimated to be up to 200 pairs of white-tailed eagles in the UK.
