'Miracle' eagle with broken wing spotted back above Scottish coast
A sea eagle nicknamed 'Kinky', which survived a severe wing injury as a chick in 2023, has been spotted flying independently in Scotland. Experts are surprised by its survival, noting the unusual care provided by its parents during its recovery.
Why it matters
The survival of this bird provides rare insights into avian resilience and parental behavior in white-tailed sea eagles.
Image source, Stephen Magee Image caption, Kinky has a distinctive crooked wing where the bone has healed
A sea eagle that confounded experts by surviving into adulthood with a badly broken wing has been spotted back in the skies above Scotland's west coast.
The bird was dubbed the Isle of Mull's "miracle eagle" by charity the RSPB after it fell from its nest as a chick during a storm in 2023.
Experts that monitor the island's sea eagle population did not expect the male chick to survive, but it has now been spotted three years on - soaring above the island with the distinctive kink in its wing clearly visible.
Retired RSPB officer Dave Sexton, whose has worked with the island's sea eagles for more than 20 years, described the sighting as "incredible".
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