What factor slows the recovery of a genetically sound population after introduction?

Longer developmental periods and lifespan

A major constraint on the recovery rate of the White-Tailed Eagle population, especially following a significant bottleneck or a successful reintroduction event like the one on the Isle of Wight, is its life history strategy inherent to being a large bird. Larger raptors typically have longer lifespans, often averaging around 20 years in the wild, which corresponds to longer developmental periods for their young. This means that the time required for adaptive behaviors—such as mastering local hunting techniques or selecting appropriate nest sites—to fully become established across a new territory spans multiple generations. This generational time scale for evolutionary processes and cultural learning is substantially slower than the rapid pace at which modern environmental changes, such as habitat loss or pollution, can negatively impact the species.