The eastern imperial eagle (lat. Aquila heliaca), a large and vulnerable predator, is beginning to return to Serbia after being on the brink of total disappearance from the country for nearly an entire decade, reports Danas.rs.
At the beginning of each spring season, before the trees leaf out in northern Serbia, ornithologists tour the plains of Vojvodina, checking old and potential new nesting locations and searching for signs that the imperial eagles are resettling, writes The Guardian.
Less than ten years ago, there was only one breeding pair in Serbia. However, based on the latest field data from the Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia (BPSSS), 19 nesting pairs were recorded last year, 10 of which successfully hatched young.
The reasons why the eagles almost vanished from Serbia are manifold:
Disappearance of forests and habitats – intensive agriculture in Vojvodina has significantly reduced the number of trees suitable for nests.
Lack of food – the main prey, the European ground squirrel, disappeared when pastures were abandoned and converted into arable land.
Persecution by humans – shooting birds for “fun,” killing out of fear that they attack livestock, and historical poisoning campaigns against large predators dramatically reduced the population.
Although the situation in Serbia was not the most favorable, eagles came to our country from neighboring Hungary, where animal protection organizations have been guarding and successfully increasing the population of this species for decades.
A great contribution to the return of this species to our region was made by the “PannonEagle LIFE” project, financed by the European Union, as well as the continuous engagement of the BPSSS society – from guarding nests during the nesting season to tagging and monitoring young eagles.
Although the population recovery is encouraging, the recovery is still uncertain: trees are few, eagles are slow to adapt to artificial nests, and problems such as poisoning and collisions with power lines still pose a threat.
The eastern imperial eagle is a species that, due to habitat loss, persecution, and other threats, is on the International Red List of Threatened Species.
MORE TOPICS:
Source: N1; Photo: Wikimedia Creative Commons