Cainism, nestling management in Germany in 2004-2007 and satellite tracking of juveniles in the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina)

Abstract

<jats:title>Cainism, nestling management in Germany in 2004-2007 and satellite tracking of juveniles in the Lesser Spotted Eagle (<jats:italic>Aquila pomarina</jats:italic>)</jats:title><jats:p>The Lesser Spotted Eagle belongs to a species with obligatory cainism, which means that in the natural state it is rare that two young eagles fledge, although as a rule two chick's hatch. The breeding population in Germany is at the western edge of the species' range and is declining (a 23% decrease between 1993 and 2007). Local extinction can be anticipated and therefore nestling management has been implemented in the German federal state of Brandenburg since 2004 as a conservation measure by using human intervention to prevent the death of the younger sibling. This is in addition to other methods such as nest-site protection, habitat preservation, legislation etc. Furthermore, in 2007, second hatched eagle chicks (Abels) from Latvia were translocated for the first time. The managed pairs (nests physically inspected) were on average more successful than the unmanaged pairs (nests not physically inspected). It cannot be determined as to whether the inspection of the nests had a negative effect on breeding. Breeding success of the pairs present in Brandenburg, including non-breeders, increased by 57 % in 2007 due to nestling management, and that of the managed pairs alone by 67 %. In 2007 the behaviour of six young eagles was studied using satellite telemetry. This study determined that the Abels migrated as well as the first hatched eagle chicks (Cains), and that their survival chances were equally good. The Abels imported from Latvia migrated in two out of three cases along the same route as the German Lesser Spotted Eagles to the Bosporus. One Latvian Abel which fledged in Germany was tracked by satellite to Zambia where many Lesser Spotted Eagles winter. A German Abel wintered North of the Equator in the Sudan and neighbouring countries for over six months and started its return migration on 27 April 2008.</jats:p>

Reproductive success, selected nest characteristics and the effectiveness of establishing protection zones of the lesser spotted eagle (Aquila pomarina) population in Slovakia

“…Although Estonia at present has shown the stability of its population (Väli 2015), several core countries have confirmed a decreasing trend in population. Bergmanis et al (2015) recorded a decline in Latvia in 2003-2011and Treinys et al (2007) a 26% decline in Lithuania in 1980-2006 More significantly, however, a 23% decline was recorded on the western boundary of the species distribution in Germany (Meyburg et al 2008). In the Czech Republic in [2001][2002][2003] no breeding pairs were recorded, and the species was considered to…”

Records of the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) nests with two fledged young without human intervention in Slovakia

“…In other countries within the Lesser Spotted Eagle breeding distribution range the percentage ratio of such records is lower, ranging from 0.076 % in Germany (Meyburg et al 2008) to 3.4 % in Belarus. However, it is important to keep in mind that the percentage ratio is also affected by the sample size i.e.…”

“…In Eastern Poland (Lubelszczyznie) during 1986-2008 Wójciak has found 27 cases (2.4 %) with two fledged young without human intervention from total 1208 productive nests (Wójciak in verb.). In comparison with 1304 cases when a single young fledged from a nest, there was only a single record of fledging of two young without human intervention in Germany (0.076 %) (n = 286 in Brandenburg and 1018 in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania; Meyburg et al 2008). …”

A Globally-Important Stronghold in Oman for a Resident Population of the Endangered Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus

“…Stray and feral dogs are often an issue where anthropogenic waste is disposed (Gompper 2014) and their numbers can have sometimes complex relationships with local human culture, scavenging bird numbers, spread of disease (Markandya et al 2008) and animal control efforts (Botha et al 2017). Lethal control of stray and feral dogs using poisons can cause high mortality among non-target species like vultures (Ogada 2014, Ntemiri et al 2018 and eagles (Millsap et al 2004, Meyburg et al 2008, especially if undertaken at a rubbish dump frequented by them (Grubac v et al 2014, BirdLife International 2015. Egyptian Vulture populations on Masirah and Socotra islands may benefit from the dog populations being very small, and little human conflict with mammalian carnivores that may fuel the use of poisons (Porter & Suleiman 2012).…”