White-Tailed Eagles on the Isle of Mull

A Nest of Bulky Proportions

Immense

The nest of a White-tailed Eagle can be a bulky affair, with those used in successive years taking on huge proportions, as both male and female may add materials to an already impressive structure. Made primarily of sticks and branches, it is not unusual for nests to measure five feet across and three feet deep. A giant nest, which had been built upon over a number of years, was found to be 12 feet (3.7 metres) in height.

White-tailed Eagles often have several eyries within their home territory. Being long-lived and faithful to these territories, individual nests may be used for several years, sometimes for decades by successive generations of birds. One nest in Iceland was recorded to have been in use for over 150 years! In parts of the White-tailed Eagle's range, it has been known for trees to collapse under the enormous weight of such nests.

On the Isle of Mull, as elsewhere in Scotland, the eggs and chicks are supported by a lining of dead purple moor grass or rushes, common plants found throughout the White-tailed Eagle's foraging range. Nests may be located on cliff ledges or 40 feet (12 metres) or higher in a tree. Both conifers and deciduous trees are used.

During the breeding season, the male will often bring fresh greenery, for example, bracken fronds or heather sprigs to adorn the lining of the nest. Rather than this being seen as mere decoration, it is thought that this fresh vegetation can assist in helping to sanitise the nest. Many plants on the Isle of Mull possess both antiseptic and antibiotic properties which may help cleanse the nest surroundings of bothersome flies and ticks.