Rare sighting of golden eagle in northern France excites birdwatchers
Juvenile bird is thought to be searching for its own hunting grounds
French golden eagles usually spend their lives in the southern mountain ranges
Dennis Jacobsen/Shutterstock
A rare spotting of a golden eagle has been made in northern France, exciting local birdwatchers.
The Ligue de protection des oiseaux (LPO, bird protection league) of Hauts-de-France announced the viewing in a social media post.
The aigle royal (golden eagle) was spotted in the Aisne department by a regional delegate of the LPO.
The bird was a juvenile, noticeable "by the markings above and below its wings, as well as a white bar on its tail. It is a bird that is probably entering its second year of life.”
Following the social media post, several people commented that they also saw the eagle across different northern departments.
Juvenile was ‘wandering’ in search of food
Golden eagles are a mountainous bird, and are rarely seen outside of this habitat.
Indeed, the LPO website states that the bird is typically “confined to the mountain ranges located south of a line connecting Biarritz to Annecy,” in France, as well as the Jura mountains.
While the spotting led to some theories that the bird had escaped from a bird of prey show or its presence was due to the effect of climate change, experts disagree.
The eagle is thought to be ‘wandering’ due to its young status and the various sightings across the region showing it is covering a lot of territory.
Juvenile eagles begin to ’wander’ at this age, as nearby adults act aggressively towards them when the younger birds start hunting in their territory.
Birds leave their native area in search of new, isolated hunting grounds.
Usually this is relatively nearby or part of a new mountain range, but it seems this eagle was drawn north during the recent warm spell, potentially motivated by the warmer than usual air and the abundance of prey visible on the ground.
Experts are not concerned – merely pleasantly surprised – about its presence, and believe it may even reach as far north as Belgium or the Netherlands on some hunts.
When golden eagles reach the age of four or five, they finish ‘wandering’ and return to their native habitat.
Golden eagles are not under any threat in France, and can be spotted in several mountain ranges.
