Eagle Reintroduction Wales (ERW) - Ailgyflwyno’r Eryr Cymru (AEC)

Eagle Reintroduction Wales (ERW) was founded in 2016 by Welsh raptor ecologist Dr Sophie-Lee Williams at Cardiff University as part of her PhD research. The initiative was developed in collaboration with organisations including the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and Wildlife Trust Wales, supported through a KESS II scholarship funded by the Welsh Government (2017–2021). Since then, ERW has worked with a growing network of conservation organisations, researchers and local stakeholders to explore the feasibility of restoring eagles to Wales. ERW is now being established as an independent Welsh charity to continue developing the scientific evidence, partnerships and public engagement required to restore these iconic birds to the Welsh landscape

Eagles have been absent as breeding species in Wales for more than 150 years, and natural recolonisation is considered highly unlikely within the foreseeable future. While the long-term vision includes restoring both species, current efforts focus on the White-tailed Eagle, prior to any future work to restore Golden Eagles to Wales.

A Science-led and Highly Regulated Process

Wildlife reintroductions are complex conservation programmes that require careful planning, robust scientific evidence and regulatory approval. In Wales, any proposal to restore eagles must go through a strict licensing process overseen by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), the statutory body responsible for nature conservation and species licensing.

Licence applications must demonstrate that the return of these species is biologically, environmentally, ecologically and socially feasible, and that it can be delivered responsibly. This requires comprehensive assessments covering:

• The biological feasibility - the species’ history in Wales, conservation status, population distribution, diet, habitat requirements, genetics and potential source populations..

• The environmental feasibility - suitability of release locations, habitat availability, nest sites, prey resources and environmental challenges.

• The ecological feasibility - assessment of potential ecological benefits and risks, including Habitat Regulations Assessments (HRA) where required.

• The social feasibility - consideration of socio-economic impacts, public attitudes and engagement with local communities and stakeholders.

• Project practicalities - operational planning including release sites, translocation strategy, risk assessments and partnerships.

Our Current Focus

Wales supports extensive areas of suitable habitat for both White-tailed Eagles and Golden Eagles. Research into the environmental and ecological feasibility of restoring Golden Eagles to Wales is ongoing and will continue to be developed as part of ERW’s longer-term vision.

The White-tailed Eagle (Eryr y môr) programme has now been fully developed, with comprehensive feasibility assessments, risk analyses and stakeholder engagement completed. A licence application has been submitted to Natural Resources Wales (NRW), and the programme is now delivery-ready, subject to statutory approval and final licence determination.

Current work focuses on responding to regulatory feedback, progressing social feasibility assessments and finalising project practicalities to ensure the programme is robust, responsible and capable of being delivered to the highest conservation standards once consent is granted.

“Sophie-lee is a Welsh raptor ecologist and the founder and programme lead of Eagle Reintroduction Wales (ERW). Growing up in the Welsh Valleys, her early fascination with birds of prey was shaped by encounters with small raptors such as Peregrine Falcons and Kestrels. While working in Scotland in 2014, she experienced landscapes where Golden Eagles and White-tailed Eagles still thrive, highlighting their absence from Wales. In 2016 she established ERW, beginning a decade-long scientific and conservation journey to explore whether eagles could once again return to the Welsh landscape.”

Our ambassador eagles help people get to know these incredible birds up close. Working in partnership with the British Bird of Prey Centre in Carmarthenshire, they play an important role in education, public engagement, and conversations with communities and stakeholders. In the absence of wild eagles in Wales, this unique partnership allows us to create bespoke experiences where people can observe and learn about these remarkable birds, helping us share the story of eagles in Wales, tackle common misconceptions about birds of prey, and inspire hope that one day eagles may soar over Welsh landscapes once again.