Abstract

Summary Understanding connectivity between migratory bird breeding and wintering grounds is essential for range-wide planning of conservation activities. We used GPS tracking to explore the migration of 28 ‘Endangered’ Greater Spotted Eagles, Clanga clanga from three remaining European breeding populations towards their wintering range, and to identify population and sex-specific patterns in selection of wintering sites. The tracked eagles wintered in three continents, 46% in Africa (mostly Eastern Sahel), 43% across southern Europe (mostly Greece) and 11% in Asia (the Middle East). Migratory connectivity was weak (rM = 0.16), and the population spread across the wintering range was large (1,917 km). The three studied populations differed in their migration strategy, with northerly, Estonian breeders all wintering in Southern Europe, and Polish and Belarusian breeders divided between Southern Europe and Africa. Migration strategy was different between Belarusian males and females, with males more likely to winter in Africa than Europe, and on average, migrating 2,500 km further south than females. Migration to Africa took longer, but was partly compensated by higher migration speeds. Greater Spotted Eagles wintered in wetland sites throughout their wintering range, with 15 of 29 birds wintering in internationally or nationally protected sites (including 12 Ramsar sites). Nearly a third of European winterers stayed in the same Greek national park, perhaps indicating a limitation of suitable sites in Europe due to wetland loss or degradation. This highlights the importance of protected wetlands to this species, but also shows their vulnerability to future wetland degradation. Only two of 14 wintering sites in Africa were under protection, showing a potential mismatch between protection of females and males in their wintering grounds.

Highlights

  • The Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga clanga Pallas, 1811, is a large, long-lived raptor predominantly hunting and breeding in wetland habitats

  • We explore the division of European Greater Spotted Eagles across their wintering range and identify population- and sex-specific patterns in selection of wintering sites

  • Our results show that breeding populations of Greater Spotted Eagles differ significantly in migratory strategy and that wintering individuals are spread over large areas

Read more

Summary

Introduction

The Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga clanga Pallas, 1811, is a large, long-lived raptor predominantly hunting and breeding in wetland habitats. Wetlands are some of the most threatened ecosystems, globally (Gardner and Finlayson 2018), and as charismatic top predators, Greater Spotted Eagles are an umbrella species for wetland conservation and an indicator of wetland quality. In the second half of the 20th century, numbers of the Greater Spotted Eagle declined severely throughout its European range. The largest threats to the species are habitat destruction and disturbance, including drainage of wetlands (Maciorowski et al 2019) but they are affected by poisoning, poaching, and electrocution (Maciorowski et al 2014, BirdLife International 2017). In the European Union, where only tiny remnant populations exist in Poland and Estonia, the Greater Spotted Eagle is ‘Critically Endangered’ (BirdLife International 2015)

Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.