Eastern Imperial Eagle on its most north-west distribution edge

EASTERN IMPERIAL EAGLE (Aquila heliaca) ON ITS MOST NORTH-WEST DISTRIBUTION EDGE

Schmidt Matthias 1 & Horal David 2, 3 Eagles of Palearctic: Study and Conservation September 8, 2018 1BirdLife 2

Österreich, Museumsplatz 1/10/8, Wien, Österreich, matthias.schmidt@birdlife.at Czech Society for Ornithology, Na Bělidle 34, Prague, Czechia, david.horal@seznam.cz 3Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, Kotlářská 52, Brno, Czechia

Overview

• • • • • • • • •

Introduction & History Population Development & Distribution Habitat & Nesting site Breeding success Diet Ringing and tagging Threats PannonEagle LIFE Interesting findings ©V.Gahura

Introduction

Belarus Distribution EIE in Central Europe Breeding Areal

Poland Ukraine Germany Czech Rep. Moldova

Slovakia France

Austria

Hungary

Liechtenstein Switzerland

Romania Slovenia Croatia

Italy Serbia Bosnia and Herz.

Bulgaria San Marino

Montenegro

Source: Handbook of the birds of the world alive

History Austria: Extinct early 19th century.

Last confirmed brood 1810 Some unconfirmed possible breedings in the 1960ties

ŠR. Katzinger Belarus Distribution EIE in Central Europe Breeding Areal

Czechia:

Poland Ukraine Germany Czech Rep. Moldova

Slovakia France

Austria

Hungary

Liechtenstein Switzerland

Romania Slovenia Croatia

Italy Serbia Bosnia and Herz.

Bulgaria San Marino

No historical records Possible but unconfirmed breedings in the early 20 century

Montenegro

In frame of the recovering of the Central European population first confirmed broods end of the 1990ties in both countries

Return of the EIE

1998/1999

Return of the EIE

1998/1999

2003

2008

2013

Return of the EIE

2018 31 TP, 22 BP, 32 Juv

population development Austria: Ʃ 158 Territorial pairs Ʃ 143 Breeding pairs Ʃ 218 Fledglings

Czechia: Ʃ 84 Territorial pairs Ʃ 60 Breeding pairs Ʃ 86 Fledglings

population development success rate

Austria: Mean 0,75

Czechia: Mean 0,75

population development Productivity & fledging success [fledgling/ BP] & [fledg./succ. BP]

Austria: mean productivity = 1,5 mean fledg.success = 1,95

Czechia: mean productivity = 1,04 mean fledg. success = 1,95

Breeding habitat Habitat categories

Breeding habitat Corine Landcover habitat-types

Nesting trees Tree species

habitat & breeding success Czechia

ŠM atusi k

habitat & breeding success Austria

©B. Wendelin

©J. Stefan

©J. Stefan

Diet of EIE in CZ & AT

©R. Katzinger

Diet of nestlings of IE from CZ (n=109, Horák & Horal) and AT (n=93, Gamauf 2008).

Graph adapted from Bierbaumer et. al 2010

Ringing & Tagging Austria Ringing (2007-2018) 47 juv + 1 immat.

Tagging (2011-2018) 23 juv + 1 immat.

Czechia Ringing (1998-2018) 66 juv Tagging (2017-2018) 7 juv.

ŠV.Gahura

Ringing & Tagging Austria Ringing (2007-2018) 47 juv + 1 immat.

Tagging (2011-2018) 23 juv + 1 immat.

Czechia Ringing (1998-2018) 66 juv Tagging (2017-2018) 7 juv.

1st record for Malta

ŠS. Cilia

Dispersal Movement (utilization distribution) of young IE from Austria. Dynamic Brownian Bridge Movement Modell.

Threats and mortality of birds after fledging tagged EIE from Austria 33 % victims of (prob.) illegal persecution 6 not older than one year 2 birds start nesting 5 birds lost?

Threats and mortality of birds after fledging

©P.Simcik

©H. Matušìk

©H. Matušìk

©U. Nüsken

PannonEagle LIFE Project LIFE+ Project

“Conservation of the eastern imperial eagle by decreasing human-caused mortality in the Pannonian Region (PannonEagle LIFE (LIFE15 NAT/HU/000902)” Project duration: 2016.10.01 - 2022.03.31

Budget: 3 583 577 € (75 % EU-Contribution)

11 Organisation from 5 countries

Co-financiers

© P. Simcik

©M. Rajic

other interesting findings Breeding female with min 22years in CZ 1994 - 2013

©V.Gahura

©V.Gahura

©V.Gahura

other interesting findings Building of two nests on one tree in one season (CZ)

ŠD, Horal ŠD, Horal

other interesting findings (unsuccessful) brood of 4 chicks in AT in 2018

ŠM. Dvorak ŠB. Wendelin

other interesting findings Successful broods of 3cy birds in CZ

©M. Palička

©M. Palička

©J.Laber

acknowledgements Czechia: Marek Palička, Hynek Matušík, Vlasta Škorpíková, Gašpar Čamlík, Ivan Literák, Rainer Raab, Jaroslav Sedláček, Petr Dvořan and many more...

Austria: Anita Gamauf ( ), Hans-Martin Berg, Michael Bierbaumer, Beate Wendelin, Michael Dvorak, Konrad Edelbacher ( ), Johannes Laber, Gábor Wichmann, Thomas ZunaKratky, Johannes Hohenegger, Marion Schindlauer, Richard Katzinger, Benjamin Watzl, Mike McGrady, Andreas Ranner, Klemens Wessely, Markus Furch, Marie-Therese Furch, Sabine Zelz Susanne Schreiner, Johanna Petrus, Stephan Höller, Katharina Loupal, Eva Karner-Raner, Michael Tiefenbach, Christian Friedl, Christina Wolf-Petre, Christian Pichler, Flora Hoser and many more....

Thank you very much for your attention!