Watch White-tailed Eagles Nesting in North Uist
Filmed under licence from NatureScot
The 2026 nesting season
We’re very sorry to report that both of this season’s chicks were lost. Jupiter, the first to hatch, sadly passed away at around six weeks of age, overnight on Sunday 14 June 2026. The younger eaglet had died earlier in the season, at eight days old. Our thanks go to everyone who watched, and to the moderators and community who shared their knowledge so generously throughout.
This is a wild nest, and this season was a hard reminder that nothing here is guaranteed — but that is what makes it real. Loki and Caitir remain in their territory, and we’ll keep watching them.
2026 season timeline
🥚 First egg laid — 26 March 2026
🥚 Second egg laid — 29 March 2026
🐣 First hatch — 2 May 2026 (Jupiter). Sadly died at around six weeks of age, overnight on Sunday 14 June 2026.
🐣 Second hatch — 5 May 2026. The younger eaglet died on 12 May 2026, at eight days old.
Follow what comes next from the nest.
Clips, behind-the-scenes and updates from the territory.
The camera is still running — Loki and Caitir are still around.
Why North Uist is one of the best places in Scotland to see white-tailed eagles
The Outer Hebrides has one of the highest densities of white-tailed eagles in the UK. From the lodges at Uist Forest Retreat on North Uist, sightings of the resident pair are a regular occurrence — whether soaring over the forest, hunting along the coastline, or returning to the nest. The retreat sits beside the RSPB Outer Hebrides Bird of Prey Trail, where all of the Outer Hebrides’ breeding raptor species can potentially be seen.
A licensed white-tailed eagle nest camera
The 2019 breeding season provided the first in-depth, extended study of white-tailed eagle diet and parental behaviour at the nest. In 2026, Loki and Caitir returned to nest, and the camera captured the season in real time — from incubation through to hatching. Filming is carried out under licence from NatureScot, and we are incredibly privileged to have been granted that permission to observe these magnificent birds in the territory that surrounds Uist Forest Retreat.
White-Tailed Eagle Behaviour and Diet — What the Research Shows
A 2020 MSc study from Edinburgh Napier University analysed 2019 nest camera footage from their nest here in North Uist, to better understand white-tailed eagle behaviour and diet.
During the breeding season:
- 106 prey deliveries were recorded
- Birds made up 60% of the chick’s diet
- Greylag geese, ducks and gulls were common prey
- The female led nest care, while the male delivered most of the food
The research shows that this pair of North Uist sea eagles primarily relied on wild prey species during the breeding season. Despite being in a crofting landscape, no livestock were recorded as being delivered to the nest during the period studied. Read more: What we learned from watching 18 Weeks of White-Tailed Eagle Life on North Uist and
Sea eagles eat geese — could they be a crofter’s friend?
2026 — ongoing dietary research with Redwing Ecology
Most of what is known about white-tailed eagle diet in Scotland comes from analysis of food remains and pellets collected at nests and roost sites. That information doesn’t provide the full picture, and there are still considerable gaps in our knowledge of eagle diet and their interactions with other species.
This nest camera offers a rare opportunity for real-time, detailed study of diet — and the food-delivery footage being captured this season is contributing to ongoing dietary research with Redwing Ecology. Every prey delivery you watch live is also a data point.
Our thanks to the team that make this happen. Jamie Boyle, Sea Eagle Management Team (formerly RSPB Reserves Manager); Robin Reid, Redwing Ecology, Andrew Kent, NatureScot, Sea Eagle Management; Daniel Festorazzi, MSc Edinburgh Napier University; Mani Gurung, Axis Communications
We also pay special tribute to the late John Love, who played a pivotal role in the reintroduction of white-tailed eagles from Norway in 1975. We were privileged to have his support in developing this research. John sadly passed away in 2024 and is fondly remembered for his dedication to the species’ recovery in the UK, in addition to being a valued member of the community in Uist.
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