Michele Mendi

Breeds from Central Europe to the Causasus, reent extralimital breeding records in France and Spain. Winters in the eastern half of Africa, from Sudan to South Africa. Hybridizes with Greater Spotted Eagle in Baltic states, and hybrids can display similar or intermediate migratory strategies.

Season of assessment

B

Population trendIncreasing
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		34200-46200,39700
Red List categoryLC
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 Lesser Spotted Eagle

The general direction of migration is to the South, for all birds ringed in East and Central Europe. Winter recoveries are widespread in southern East Africa, ranging from Rwanda to northern South Africa. There is no ringing effort in the populations breeding in South East Europe (Greece and Turkey). A bird ringed in Israel in November was recovered in European Russia.

Recoveries by Condition for Lesser Spotted Eagle

Mostly dead recoveries before 1990 (85-88%), then over 80% of live recoveries, with a large increase in recovery numbers from 2007 onwards.

Annual Movements for Lesser Spotted Eagle

A tracked male from Slovakia (Meyburg et al. 2004) reached the Bosphorus at the end of September, and the Sahara was crossed during the second decade of October, with slower movements from Uganda southwards to South Africa, arriving there mid-November. In spring, the migration started at the end of February or early March, to enter Europe in early April. Two immatures tracked during the spring migration left Namibia at the end of February and the end of March, and flew to their respective summer quarters in Hungary and the Ukraine, arriving there 2.5 and 1.5 months later than the breeding adults (Meyburg et al. 2001). There is also some migration of juvenile birds via Gibraltar to West Africa (Nigeria, Mauretania) (Meyburg 2021).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Lesser Spotted Eagle

Recoveries in southern Africa are mainly from November to February (few in October and March), and birds are clearly on the move across the Middle East and Europe in April, even in early May. Autumn migration starts early September, and is over in Europe by the end of October. Tracking data provide phenologies of individual migrations. By default, winter recoveries within Europe are considered valid, though there is the possibility that they concern hybrids not identified as such.

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
Fourcade, J. M., & Fontanilles, P. 2018 . Differential post-breeding movements of Cetti’s Warblers Cettia cetti in two reedbeds in south-west France. Ringing and Migration 33: 57–63
Meyburg, B.-U., Meyburg, C., Bělka, T., Šreibr, O., Vrana, J.2004 . Migration, wintering and breeding of a Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) from Slovakia tracked by satellite. Journal of Ornithology 145 Link to Article (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-003-0014-5) : 1–7
Meyburg, B.-U.; Ellis, D. H., Meyburg, C., Mendelsohn, J. M., Scheller, W.2001 . Satellite tracking of two Lesser Spotted Eagles, Aquila pomarina, migrating from Namibia. Ostrich 72: 35–40

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