An eagle dies in in Tyberton
1909 – A White Tailed Eagle comes to Herefordshire
An eagle of around four years old was seen flying over Hereford and neighbouring countryside during the week after Christmas.
Unfortunately whilst circling over the farm of Mr. G. Rowberry on the Tyberton estate the eagle was shot by the head gamekeeper who had no clue as to what he was firing at. It was dusk, and many birds in the trees were greatly alarmed, so when a large bird flew up the gamekeeper fired.
The eagle was very fat, so had clearly dined well on rabbits, and perhaps lambs, and was taken to Mr. A. Cook’s taxidermist shop where the species was ascertained to be a rare white tailed eagle, also known as a Fish eagle.
The bird was 2 feet 2 inches long, with a wingspan of 7 feet 2 inches.
Sadly this bird was the fourth white tailed eagle to have been shot in Herefordshire over the previous fifty years.
An experienced naturalist inspected the eagle, and his opinion was that the bird had escaped from a private collection because a wild bird would not be so fat; also the tips of the tail feathers were rather worn which again could indicate captivity.