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STV News
11-07-2025
- General
- STV News
'Miracle' white-tailed eagle that fell from parents' nest spotted over Mull
A white-tailed eagle whose survival was hailed as a 'miracle' has been spotted in the skies over Mull after almost a year. Nicknamed 'Kinky', the bird of prey had fallen from its parents' nest in July 2023, suffering a broken wing. However – uncharacteristically, for the species – the chick was nursed back to health by its parents, but suffered from wobbly flight. Kinky was regarded as a 'miracle chick' by RSPB Scotland and was last seen in autumn 2024 before disappearing. However on July 1, Blair Ketteringham, a crew member of the Mull Charters vessel Lady Jayne, spotted the bird of prey circling over the island of Forsa in Loch na Keal in Mull. RSPB Scotland Kinky the white-tailed eagle has been spotted over Mull RSPB Scotland RSPB Scotland ambassador Dave Sexton said he could not believe the photo sent to him by Mr Ketteringham. He said: 'Frankly, I was in disbelief, as I seriously doubted if Kinky could survive last winter without his parents to support him. 'Clearly they had to move on with their lives and are finally breeding again this year, but of Kinky there'd been no sign despite our appeal. 'He was soaring high over Eorsa like any other eagle would and eventually came down to land where he interacted briefly with a different adult sea eagle. 'It's testament to his strength of character and incredible survival skills that he seems to have overcome his major injury – with a lot of help from mum and dad.' Mr Sexton added: 'For most eagles, a broken wing would be a death sentence as they're unable to hunt and feed. 'But Kinky is a shining example of what perseverance can achieve.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Herald Scotland
11-07-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
'Miracle' sea eagle spotted in sky over Isle of Mull
The male chick had fallen from the pair's nest in July 2023 during bad weather, which resulted in a significant break to its left wing. It continued to be fed by its parents but took to the skies weeks after its uninjured sibling, which dispersed in the autumn. During this period the bird was nicknamed 'Kinky' by a local skipper due to the visible kink in its wing as a result of the injury. In an unprecedented observation a year later, Kinky was spotted the following breeding season at a new nest site continuing to be fed by his parents. Kinky was spotted flying over Mull this summer (Image: Blair Ketteringham) It was described by RSPB Ambassador Dave Sexton as a 'miracle chick' and highlighted a caring side to the species not often seen. Despite the good news of Kinky's survival, there were fears he would not be able to live independently because his wobbly flight may affect his ability to hunt. He was last seen in autumn of 2024, still with his parents, before disappearing from the area. On July 1, an immature White-tailed Eagle was spotted by Blair Ketteringham, a crew member of the Mull Charters vessel Lady Jayne, circling over the island of Forsa in Loch na Keal in Mull. Ketteringham quickly noticed that the bird had a distinctive kink in its wing and snapped some pictures, which he immediately sent to Sexton with the message: 'He lives!' 'It was 2pm when the WhatsApp message and photo came through,' said Mr Sexton. 'I was just having a cup of tea and nearly spilled the lot when I looked at it. Frankly I was in disbelief as I seriously doubted if Kinky could survive last winter without his parents to support him. 'Clearly they had to move on with their lives and are finally breeding again this year but of Kinky there'd been no sign despite our appeal.' He added: 'He was soaring high over Eorsa like any other eagle would and eventually came down to land where he interacted briefly with a different adult sea eagle. 'It's testament to his strength of character and incredible survival skills that he seems to have overcome his major injury – with a lot of help from mum and dad.' A seagull comes to check out the eagle (Image: Blair Ketteringham) Mr Sexton said that for most eagles, a broken wing would be a death sentence as they're unable to hunt and feed. He added: 'But Kinky is a shining example of what perseverance can achieve. 'What the future holds for him now aged 2 years old is impossible to predict. 'But I wouldn't mind betting he goes from strength to strength as he approaches adulthood in three years' time. 'He's one of Mother Nature's survivors. What a bird.' This year marks the 50th anniversary of the White-tailed Eagles' reintroduction to Scotland. The species went extinct in the country in 1918 when the last native wild bird shot in Shetland. A reintroduction project by NatureScot using chicks donated from Norway has seen them successfully re-establish a self-sustaining population, with an estimated 200 pairs now in the UK.
The National
11-07-2025
- General
- The National
'Miracle' white-tailed eagle spotted in skies above Mull
The male chick, nicknamed Kinky, had fallen from the pair's nest in July 2023 during bad weather, which resulted in a significant break to its left wing, which has since healed but has left a visible kink in its wing. Kinky took to the skies weeks after its uninjured sibling in autumn last year, which is typical for the species, but hadn't been spotted since. READ MORE: Weather warning issued to TRNSMT Festival go-ers as scorching heatwave expected His parents were spotted breeding once again with Kinky nowhere in sight, leading to fears that he had not survived his first winter alone due to his injury, as experts were concerned his wobbly flight may impact his ability to hunt. Following a campaign by RSPB Scotland who encouraged Scots to keep an eye out for Kinky, an immature White-tailed Eagle was spotted by Blair Ketteringham, a crew member of the Mull Charters vessel Lady Jayne, circling over the island of Forsa in Loch na Keal in Mull. Ketteringham quickly noticed that the bird had a distinctive kink in its wing and took some pictures of the bird, which he immediately sent to RSPB Ambassador Dave Sexton with the message: 'He lives!' (Image: RSPB Scotland) 'It was 2pm when the WhatsApp message and photo came through,' said Sexton. 'I was just having a cup of tea and nearly spilled the lot when I looked at it. 'Frankly I was in disbelief as I seriously doubted if Kinky could survive last winter without his parents to support him. 'Clearly they had to move on with their lives and are finally breeding again this year but of Kinky there'd been no sign despite our appeal. 'He was soaring high over Eorsa like any other eagle would and eventually came down to land where he interacted briefly with a different adult sea eagle. 'It's testament to his strength of character and incredible survival skills that he seems to have overcome his major injury – with a lot of help from mum and dad.' He added: 'For most eagles, a broken wing would be a death sentence as they're unable to hunt and feed. 'But Kinky is a shining example of what perseverance can achieve. 'What the future holds for him now aged 2 years old is impossible to predict. 'But I wouldn't mind betting he goes from strength to strength as he approaches adulthood in three years' time.
