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Golden eagles could grace the skies of England after a near-total absence of more than a century and a half. Ministers are encouraged by the success of efforts to bring back beavers and are investing an extra £1million to explore the reintroduction of the iconic birds of prey. Eagles as young as six weeks old could be released as early as next year.

Golden eagles are mentioned more than 40 times in Shakespeare and were once widespread across England, but their numbers were decimated in the Victorian era. The last known eagle died in the Lake District a decade ago. Forestry England has confirmed the nation has the capacity once again to sustain golden eagles and eight potential "recovery zones" - mainly in the North of England - have been identified.

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds has approved £1million to explore a "reintroduction programme".

She said: "[We are] committed to protecting and restoring our most threatened native wildlife - and that includes bringing back iconic species like the golden eagle... [We] will work alongside partners and communities to make the golden eagle a feature of English landscapes once again."

Golden eagle populations in southern Scotland have recovered to record numbers. Satellite tracking shows some of the birds now explore northern England.

The charity Restoring Upland Nature (RUN) will work with Forestry England on the new effort. It is hoped that golden eagles will play a major role in the wider restoration of nature.

According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), these great birds - famed for their two metre wingspan - "help to keep the whole ecosystem in balance" through their position as "an apex predator at the top of the food chain".

Mike Seddon, chief executive of Forestry England, said: "It is our ambition that the nation's forests will become the most valuable places for wildlife to thrive and expand in England. And we know from our successful reintroduction projects that returning lost species is vital for nature recovery across landscapes.

"The detailed findings of our feasibility study will guide us with our partners, RUN, to take the next steps to explore the recovery of golden eagles in northern England. This Defra funding means we can build on the good work we have begun, taking the time to build support and engage with local communities, landowners and land managers and conservation organisations."

Cat Barlow, chief executive of RUN, said: "This presents a truly exciting, and potentially game-changing moment for the return of golden eagles to Northern England."

She wants everyone to "enjoy the thrill of seeing golden eagles flying high once again across the uplands of the UK".

Research by Forestry England suggests Scottish birds could be seen across northern England within a decade but it will take longer for breeding golden eagles to once agin be established south of the border.

The Government last year permitted the reintroduction of beavers into the wild England for "the first time in hundreds of years".