White-tailed Eagle

Collection: Special Collections, UCC Library, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. 

William Yarrell (1784–1856) was an English bookseller, zoologist, and naturalist, best known for The History of British Fishes (1836) and A History of British Birds (1843). The latter volume is a handbook containing an entry for every known species of bird in Britain. Admired for its scientific accuracy, it became the standard reference work for British ornithologists. The White-Tailed Eagle was once a widespread breeding species along Irish coasts but was extirpated by the early 20th Century. It was first re-introduced at Killarney National Park in 2007, with subsequent sites including Glengarriff and Lough Derg. It is the largest bird of prey in Ireland with a wingspan of up to 2.4 metres. It has faced significant challenges in terms of repopulation.  For more information see: Life on Land: Birds & Trees from the 17th-21st Centuries https://libguides.ucc.ie/lifeonland