Expanding woodlands in Special Protection Areas for golden eagles

Golden eagles are primarily birds of open mountain country but they can use open woodland habitats and may benefit from prey species which use woodlands. In 2010 a suite of six new Special Protection Areas (SPAs) covering 360,000 ha were designated by the Scottish Government for the conservation of golden eagles, adding to the existing eight SPA sites in Scotland for this species. Around 28% of the UK golden eagle population lives in these protected areas. This Practice Note reviews the evidence for how golden eagles may be affected by woodland expansion in their breeding territories, and gives interim guidance on how to plan for woodland planting proposals within the protected areas to make them compatible with their golden eagle conservation objectives.