Dead sea eagle found on Lelystad farm was hit by wind turbine

A sea eagle found dead on a farm in Lelystad on Tuesday was probably hit by the blade of a wind turbine, broadcaster Omroep Flevoland reported on Wednesday.

According to experts at Wageningen University, the five year-old female had broken legs, a broken wing and many internal wounds.

‘A sea eagle flies at a height of around 100 metres while looking for prey on the ground,’ Joke Bijl of the Dutch forestry commission Staatsbosbeheer told the broadcaster. The bird must have crashed down from this great height and probably attempted to land on its legs, Bijl said.

The sea eagle made a successful come-back to the Netherlands in 2004. The species is doing very well in the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve where there are ten breeding locations. Staatsbosbeheer thinks some 44 chicks have been hatched since then.

After further examination the dead sea eagle will probably be exhibited at the Staatsbosbeheer visitor centre in Lelystad, Omroep Flevoland said.

Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation