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A sea eagle with a severely broken wing has amazed conservationists by surviving to adulthood and has recently been seen flying above the west coast of Scotland. Known affectionately as “Kinky” due to the distinctive bend in its wing where the bone healed unevenly, this eagle captured attention after a dramatic fall from its nest during a storm in 2023. Despite initial doubts about its chances, the young male bird has now been observed three years later soaring high above the Isle of Mull.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) referred to the eagle as the Isle of Mull’s “miracle eagle” after it remarkably recovered from its injuries. The eagle’s two white-tailed parents demonstrated unusual dedication by continuing to care for it well beyond the typical fledging period, even forgoing a breeding season to tend to their offspring. This exceptional parental care gave Kinky a fighting chance to survive its precarious start to life.
Photographs recently taken over Loch Spelve, a sea loch on the southern coast of Mull, clearly show the eagle in flight with the characteristic kink in its left wing, a testament to its resilience. Dave Sexton, a retired RSPB officer with over two decades of experience working with the island’s sea eagle population, described seeing Kinky again as “incredible.” He expressed admiration for the bird but also cautioned about the upcoming challenges it faces as a “sub-adult,” when established adult eagles may show hostility to younger, less dominant individuals.
Sea eagles, also known as white-tailed eagles, were once hunted to extinction in the UK, with the last native bird being shot in Shetland in 1918. Conservation efforts began through a reintroduction program launched in Scotland in 1975, and since then, a sustainable population has been established. These majestic birds returned to the Isle of Mull in the 1980s, making Kinky’s survival story all the more remarkable within the context of their recovery in the region
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