White-tailed eagle health monitoring (Scotland)
Young white tailed eagle being released from quarantine in Eastern Scotland
Natural Research has teamed with colleagues in the RSPB and Edinburgh University to establish a pre-release health screening protocol for the first five-year phase of the East Scotland White-tailed Sea Eagle Reintroduction Programme (2007-2012). By establishing pre-release condition and health, changes to these baseline data (post-release) can be monitored and also used to interpret later field data related to the success of the reintroduction (i.e. fledgling dispersal, behaviour and survival). The objectives of this study are to:
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Establish baseline health parameters on the individual to be released;
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Establish baseline concentrations of toxicants such as lead and mercury;
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Provide screening for potential pathogens that may not exist in the release environment.
We are sampling serum, blood smears, saliva, faecal bacterial cultures and feathers. In addition, a post-mortem protocol was recently developed and distributed to partner organisations so that relevant tissue samples can be collected from carcasses for monitoring purposes.
We are also running a white-tailed sea eagle DNA project across Scotland: White-tailed eagle monitoring using DNA (Scotland)
Collaborators: Exotic Animal & Wildlife Service at Edinburgh University Vet School; RSPB; Sea Eagle Project Team.
For more information please contact info@natural-research.org
YOU CAN HELP THIS PROJECT!
We are currently seeking funding to help cover the costs of this health-screening project. If you are interested in this iconic species and want to contribute to the on-going health monitoring of the recently reintroduced birds, please click here to visit our donations page.
Photo by RSPB