A white-tailed eagle was spotted flying majestically over the New Forest last week – here’s how you might be able to see one for yourself.

After Daily Echo Camera Club member Jordan Callaghan managed to snap photos of the enigmatic eagle last week, we discovered how to find these birds in the New Forest and beyond.

White-tailed eagles – also known as sea eagles – eat mainly fish, though they do also hunt for other birds, rabbits and hares.

According to the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, if they are looking for food, they often fly low over the water, pause in mid-air and quickly plunge their claws into the ground to grab fish near the surface.

READ MORE: UK's biggest bird of prey spotted soaring over the New Forest

Looking at bodies of water would not be a bad place to start if you are after a white-tailed eagle, especially if you think there will be plenty of fish swimming through.

Forestry England said that they can often also be seen flying near estuaries and rocky coastlines, though they do nest in trees, unlike golden eagles.

White-tailed eagles were wiped out in the wild in the 1900s due to a spree of illegal hunting and other destructive human activity.

Almost 240 years later, Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation reintroduced the bird of prey on the Isle of Wight.

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The five-year reintroduction project to bring them out into the wild began in 2019, and by the time the project ends this year, Forestry England plan to have released 60 birds.

There is every chance that the eagle Jordan saw in the New Forest was visiting from the Isle of Wight, so staying in close proximity to the Solent might help your chances in seeing one.

Jordan Callaghan managed to snap this soaring white-tailed eagle last week in the New Forest.Jordan Callaghan managed to snap this soaring white-tailed eagle last week in the New Forest. (Image: Jordan Callaghan) Cumbria has been touted as the next location to reintroduce the eagles, though farmers have criticised the plans in ear of the birds preying on lambs.

In terms of the look, these particular birds have pale necks and heads, which become lighter and almost white when the eagles age.

Forestry England say their bright yellow beaks and golden eyes are bold, like their white, distinctively wedgy tail.

The UK’s biggest bird of prey has a massive wingspan which can reach 2.5 metres.