Hans Joachim Fünfstück

Breeding from East Central Europe (especially Belarus, Ukraine and Russia; also Baltic states) to North-East China. Leaves breeding rage in winter when frequents large wetland areas scattered from southern Spain to south-East China, including the Middle East and some African spots. Hybridize with Lesser Spotted Eagle in Baltic states, and hybrids can display intermediate migratory strategies.

Season of assessment

B

Population trendDecreasing
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		1900-2500,2200
Red List categoryVU
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Greater Spotted Eagle

Almost all recoveries ensue from ringing of the species on breeding grounds in Estonia and East Poland, with directions of observed movements to the SW, S or SE, with final destinations spread from southern Spain to northern Israel. The movements of Russian birds are not well documented, with two recoveries involving partial migration or local dispersal. Tracking data concern Estonian birds wintering from southern France to southern Spain (Pérez-García et al. 2014), and Lithuanian hybrids wintering either in Kenya, so moving southwards and using an eastern flyway, or in southern Spain, so moving to the SW and using a western flyway.

Recoveries by Condition for Greater Spotted Eagle

Very few recoveries before 1990 corresponding to three birds found dead. Only 57 ring recoveries after 1990, mainly of live birds (86%), obtained after 1999.

Annual Movements for Greater Spotted Eagle

A family from East Poland has been tracked (Meyburg et al. 2005). Male, female and juvenile started the autumn migration in the last decade of September. The juvenile was lost in Albania on 26 October. The parents moved by Romania and Bulgaria and passed the Bosphorus in the second half of October. A bird rehabilitated and tagged in the UAE further moved to Kazakhstan and later to Pakistan (Strick et al. 2011).A famous bird fledged in Estonia and named Tönn was tracked from 2008 to 2017. He migrated each year between Estonia and el Hondo wetlands in Spain, and wandered extensively in summer across Finland, Norway and Sweden, though became a breeder in Estonia when mature. Tõnn generally travelled across France during the second decade of November (Reeber et al. 2009).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Greater Spotted Eagle

Given the time schedule of tracked migrating individuals, the recoveries of Estonian and Polish birds from October and November should correspond to active migration, while recoveries later from December onwards should correspond to wintering, with recoveries on wintering grounds until February.

Frédéric Jiguet

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries
References Map
Meyburg, B.-U., Meyburg, C., Mizera, T., Maciorowski, G.2005 . Family break up, departure, and autumn migration in Europe of a family of Greater Spotted Eagles (Aquila clanga) as reported by satellite telemetry. Journal of Raptor Research 39: 462–466
Pérez-García, J.M., Urmas, S., Ülo, V.2014 . Winter ranging behaviour of a greater spotted eagle (Aquila clanga) in southeast Spain during four consecutive years. Slovak Raptor Journal 8 Link to Article (DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/srj-2014-0014) : 123–128
Reeber, S., Duquet, M. et le CHN2009 . Tõnn, un Aigle criard Aquila clanga sous haute surveillance. Ornithos 16: 326–331
Strick, J., Vercammen, P., Judas, J., Combreau, O.2011 . Satellite tracking of a rehabilitated Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga. Zoology in the Middle East 54 (part 3) Link to Article (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09397140.2011.10648901) : 103–106

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