Greater Spotted Eagle
Aquila clangaPallas, 1811
Order Falconiformes
Family Accipitridae
Conservation status: in Bulgaria: Critically endangered CR [B1(a)]+C[2a(i)]+D, BDA-II, III (I); International: IUCN-VU, CITES-II, BeC-II, BoC-II, ECS-Spec 1, BD-II.
General distribution. A Palearctic species. It nests in Northeastern Europe, Russia and China, with total numbers of 810 – 1 100 pairs. It winters in the Balkans, Asia Minor, the Near East, Northeastern Africa, Southern Asia and recently also in Central Europe.
Distribution and abundance in Bulgaria. A passage migrant, winter visitor and probably breeding species. In the past there were singular nesting reports without proved breeding for Sindel railway station, for the town of Krichim, the villages of Yarlovo, Buhovo, Eleshnitsa and Churek (Sofia region), and the Rila mountain [1]. It flies over the Black Sea coast, over the Pirin mountain and Slavyanka, and winters in the Kamchiyski Longoz [1, 2]. After 1985, it was registered in the breeding period along the Black Sea coast, in Strandzha (possible nesting in 1989), the Thracian lowland, Dobrudzha, the Eastern Rhodopes and Sakar [3, 4, 5, 6], without proof of breeding. In the area of possible breeding, a dead young individual was found in 1989 [10]. It migrates regularly along the Black Sea coast (Kaliakra, Balchik, Albena, the river Kamchiya, the Sunny Beach resort, Atanasovsko Lake, the river Ropotamo), near the Kotlenska Planina mountain, the Byala Reka river in the Eastern Rhodopes, etc. [4, 7, 8, 9]. It winters around the lakes Shabla and Durankulak, the Ropotamo River, the Ovcharitsa Reservoir, etc. [4].
Habitats. Wetlands with concentrations of wetland birds and high trees around, flooded and other deciduous forests, shores of water basins, open southeastern slopes with ascending air currents along the migration flyway.
Biology. Data are missing. In other countries it nests in trees. It lays 2 eggs that it incubates for 42-44 days. It feeds on small and moderately large vertebrates, insects, carrion [2].
Similar species. The Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina).
Negative factors. Insufficiently known. Pressure from hunting in the major wintering places (the lakes Shabla and Durankulak), possible competition by the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina).
Conservation measures taken. Protected according to the Biological Diversity Act. There exist international commitments for conservation (a plan for the conservation of the species, including Bulgaria). The numbers and the area occupied have been clarified [5]. Monitoring of the numbers during the autumn migration [2, 4, 8] and of the wintering places [4, 11, 12]. The areas of significance are declared Important Bird Areas [7] and proposed for the Natura 2000 network [13]. Some of the key places are protected (the lakes Shablensko, Durankulak and Atanasovsko), Management Plans have been worked out.
Conservation measures needed. Preparation and implementation of a National Plan for the conservation of the species. More active persecution of illegal shooting and illegal capture during the hunting season. Prevention of building wind turbines along the migration flyway. Management plans for the protected areas of significance for the species. Study of the current state, continuation of monitoring. Artificial feeding in wintering places.
References. 1. The Red Data Book of Bulgaria, 1985; 2. Simeonov et al., 1990; 3. Nikolov et al., 1994; 4. Ornithological Database, BSPB; 5. Iankov, in press; 6. K. Velev, D. Demerdjiev, G. Gerdzhikov, I. Angelov, M. Bakalov,unpubl. data; 7. Kostadinova, 1997; 8. Ruskov, 1998; 9. Zalles, Bildstein, 2000; 10. H. Nikolov (unpubl. data); 11. Michev, Profirov, 2003; 12. Kostadinova, Dereliev, 2001; 13. Kostadinova, Gramatikov, 2007.
Author: Petar Iankov
