Sea eagles were last seen soaring over the shimmering mud flats and brackish tidal waters of the Severn estuary more than 150 years ago. Now wildlife charities have unveiled innovative plans to bring the raptor back to the estuary, which flows into the Bristol Channel between south-west England and south Wales, by 2026.

“Sea eagles used to be common in these regions. But they were wiped out through human persecution,” says Sophie-lee Williams, the founder of Eagle Reintroduction Wales, which is leading the project. “We strongly believe we have a moral duty to restore this lost native species to these landscapes.”

Britain’s sea eagles, which have a wing span of up to 2.4 metres, were shot and poisoned by landowners until the early 20th century, with the last known native eagle shot in Shetland in 1918. However, birds from Norway were brought to Scotland in the 1970s and 1980s and there are now estimated to be 152 pairs across the country. Some of the Scottish birds were released on the Isle of Wight in 2019, with three eaglets successfully reared by their parents so far.