Another White-tailed Sea Eagle found dead on Lough Derg

The body of another White-tailed Sea Eagle has been discovered on Lough Derg.

The bird was found at Cribby Island, Mountshannon, on Tuesday of last week. The Department of Agriculture has confirmed that the eagle had contracted avian influenza subtype H5N6.

This is the second White-tailed Sea Eagle death recorded on Lough Derg in 2018. On January 31st the body of a female juvenile was discovered on farmland between Portumna and Carrigahorig; it too had H5N6, the first proven case of the flu in an eagle in Ireland or Britain.

There are now three confirmed cases of avian influenza in Ireland this year, all of them on Lough Derg. A buzzard found dead outside Terryglass earlier this month also had H5N6.

It was estimated that there were only around six to eight White-tailed Sea Eagles living on Lough Derg. The birds arrived here after a programme of re-introducing them in Ireland was started 10 years ago.  

While reiterating that the risk to human health is “very low”, the Department of Agriculture is advising flock owners to take specific measures, details of which are outlined on its website.