Just before you read this blog from Alice who made our 3D eagles, we thought it was important to let you know that the idea and work to produce the eagles came before the Covid-19 pandemic was established in the UK. Whilst we currently can’t use the models quite as intended, we are working with schools where the models are dropped off before being disinfected and stored for a short quarantine period before being used.

My name is Alice and I’m a prop and set-builder based in Edinburgh. When I was contacted by Philip at the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, I was really excited at the challenge of recreating an actual Golden eagle in size, weight, wingspan and plumage for its age. The model eagles were to be for educational purposes, one 18-week-old with extendable wings and one 8-week-old. The main issue getting started was that, like most people, I’d never seen one in real life! I first got in touch with the National Museum, who were kind enough to let me visit their bird collection centre. Their golden eagle collection was made up of donated pelts and taxidermy from the 1800’s! This was a very interesting trip and really helped me understand the history of golden eagles in Scotland. As helpful as this trip was for initial drawings and photographs, I wanted to see the real deal so I got in touch with Ray at the Kielder Bird of Prey Centre and met their golden eagles, Emerald and Mac. I was amazed by their sheer size, beauty and the vibrancy of their feathers.

The last stage, but a very important one, was to paint everything! To get the plumage right, I based my painting on some amazing illustrations by SSGEP eagle officer, John depicting some of the South Scotland Golden Eagle Project graduates.

Thanks to Alice for such a fascinating blog. If you are interested in knowing more about how we know the weights and measurements of the birds, please read on.

Lewis Pate is an environmental consultant who works closely with the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project. Lewis has previously contributed a blog on his role as a raptor worker and climber for the project which involves prospecting potential collection sites and working with land owners prior to accessing nests to assist with the collection of birds.

Lewis has ringed 27 golden eagles since 2015 and records biometrics of the birds - that is various measurements such as wingspan, the length of the bill and foot pad. Other interesting information gathered includes prey remains in the eyrie as well as the nest type – crag or tree.

Lewis comments, ”I have assessed birds between the ages of 5 and 9 weeks with weights ranging from 2.43kg for a 5-week old bird to 4.27kg for an 8-week old bird. I also ringed a huge 8-week old white-tailed eagle female on the Isle of Skye that weighed just over 6kg!”.

“Weight can usually give us an indication of gender with females tending to be heavier. Measurements of the footpad can also assist with determining gender although neither is as accurate as a blood analysis. Factors such as crop size (an eagle chick will weigh heavier if it has just fed) and pre-fledging flight when birds are building up reserves and the blood feathers will be engorged during development, can create some variation in measurements”.

Recording biometrics help to build a greater understanding of wildlife and changes in the environment as well as influence ongoing conservation efforts. These measurements are taken during nest visits by experienced handlers under licence. We really appreciate Lewis’ contributions to our outreach work in addition to his main role for the project.