White-tailed eagle spotted in Cornwall

A white-tailed eagle, one of Britain's largest and rarest birds of prey, has been spotted in Cornwall.

The female eagle, which has been seen around Colliford Lake on Bodmin Moor, is one of six released in the Isle of Wight in 2019, say ornithologists.

The birds are known as "flying barn doors" with a wingspan of more than 2m (6ft).

The species disappeared from the UK in the early 20th Century following centuries of persecution by humans.

The last known breeding pair in England were recorded at Culver Cliff on the Isle of Wight in 1780.

The six released birds were collected from the wild in Scotland and brought to the Isle of Wight.

Cornwall conservationists hope that breeding pairs of white-tailed eagles could be established in the county in the next 20 years.

Chris Mason, from the Cornish Birdwatching and Preservation Society, said it had been attracted to the lake by the plentiful fish.

"She actually dwarfs a buzzard," he said.

"If you think a buzzard's wingspan is just over 1m to 1.3m (4ft 3in), a white tailed eagle's wingspan is 2.5m (8ft 2in).

"So if you think of your front door flying around in the air that's pretty much what you've got."

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