Two white-tailed eagle chicks have been bred in southern England.

This is only the second time these birds have bred in the country in more than 240 years.

The offspring of a pair of eagles released by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, these chicks signify a significant milestone in the goal to restore this lost species to England.

The chicks, male siblings G636 and G637, are the result of successful breeding by their parent birds - female G405 and male G471, who themselves were part of the reintroduction project in 2020.

The parent birds had previously raised a single male chick, G625, the first white-tailed eagle to have been born in southern England since 1780.

Now satellite-tagged, the progress of these new chicks can be traced.

Over the last year, the project team has been observing the movements of last year's chick, G625, who has been exploring widely across the nation and has travelled as far as the north of Scotland.

The data validates the project's efforts in restoring these lost species, with four pairs now established in southern England, and hopes that these other pairs will breed in future years.

Roy Dennis OBE, founder of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, said: "Restoring a breeding population in southern England, where the species was once widespread, has been our ultimate goal.

"So, to see this second year of breeding success is really encouraging.

"It is still early days, but this is a very significant milestone."

Steve Egerton-Read, white-tailed eagle project officer for Forestry England, said: "When we first saw two chicks appear in the nest it was tremendously exciting.

"For both to make it to fledging demonstrates the abundance of food in this landscape and the suitability of southern England for these birds."

The white-tailed eagles, Britain’s largest bird of prey with a wingspan of up to 2.5 metres, were once prevalent in England before their extinction due to human persecution.

The recent reintroduction efforts by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation in 2019 have so far resulted in 37 young white-tailed eagles being released, with 22 of these surviving, and an added three chicks now bred in the wild.

To respect the welfare of the birds and to prevent any unnecessary disturbance, the location of the current nest, situated on private land, remains undisclosed to the public.