Irish eagle chick

A wild Golden Eagle chick has hatched in Co Donegal, for the first time in almost 100 years.

The nest actually hatched two chicks, but as normally happens, the second chick died after five days. According to the Golden Eagle Trust, there will be a further wait of seven to eight weeks to see if the remaining chick can continue to grow and hopefully fledge in late July.

Golden Eagles last bred in Glenveagh, Co Donegal in 1910 and became extinct in Ireland after the last breeding attempt in Co Mayo in 1912.

Adult eagles were reintroduced into Glenveagh National Park as part of a Golden Eagle reintroduction programme in 2001, and despite eggs being laid in 2005 and 2006, this is the first year young have been produced.

The exact location of the nest has not been revealed to the public in order to minimise disturbance to the birds.

The breeding adults were collected as chicks from the Highlands of Scotland. The pair was first spotted together on 1 August 2006 and have been together since.