Danger for rare African eagle blown to UK

A RARE eagle thought to be the first of its type recorded in the wild in Britain could starve if it is not caught, environmentalists warned yesterday.

A RARE eagle thought to be the first of its type recorded in the wild in Britain could starve if it is not caught, environmentalists warned yesterday.

The short-toed eagle, normally seen only in southern Europe and Africa, was sighted on the Isles of Scilly on Thursday by Andrew Vinson, 22, a law student from Cheshire.

The bird is thought to have been blown north by strong winds while it was heading from Spain to Africa for the winter.

Hundreds of birdwatchers have arrived on the islands to see the distinctive dark-plumed bird, which was spotted yesterday flying along the coast of the main island, St Mary's.

Andrew Gibson, the director of the Isles of Scilly Environmental Trust, said: "There are no snakes and lizards here for it to eat. We hope it might be possible to catch it and shift it to the mainland where it can be fed and then hopefully it could be taken south and released properly." Mike Thomas, of Newquay Zoo, said the eagle could soon head for the nearest point on the mainland, Cornwall, looking for food.