Golden Eagles Are Tagged As Part Of National Survey

INVERNESS, SCOTLAND - JUNE 27: Conservationists Ewan Weston and Justin Grant abseil onto a Golden Eagle eyrie before attaching GPS satellite tags to two seven and a half week old Golden Eagle chicks at a remote nest site near Loch Ness on June 27, 2015 in the Highlands, Scotland. A major six month long study is currently taking place, the 'National Golden Eagle Survey', which is the first of its kind in 12 years. The survey is co-funded by the RSPB and Scottish Natural Heritage. Surveyors from the RSPB working in collaboration with the Scottish Raptor Study Groups aim to provide a picture of the populations of breeding pairs of eagles across the country to determine whether conservation efforts are working. GPS tags are used to monitor the birds, and act as a deterrent against wildlife crime, which continues to be a major risk. 17 Golden Eagles were confirmed illegally killed in Scotland between 2003 and 2013 but the true figure is likely to be many more. The count will update the previous figure of some 440 breeding pairs of Golden Eagles in Scotland with only one adult male bird South of the border in the Lake District. Golden Eagles were once common across Britain, but due to persecution were only found in Scotland by the mid-19th century. Numbers have increased steadily since then but Golden Eagles still face pressures from poorly sited windfarms, large scale planting of conifers like Sitka spruce and, particularly, illegal killing. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)