27 times tracking of endangered imperial eagles in Austria

The imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca) impresses with a body length of almost one meter, a wingspan of up to two meters, and a weight of up to 4.5 kilograms for females. Its population in Central Europe has declined dramatically over decades (IUCN 2023). In Austria, it was considered extinct for almost 200 years – a consequence of shooting, poisoning, and the use of pesticides (Schmidt 2024). It only returned to Austria as a breeding bird on its own in 1999. Today, around 50 breeding pairs live there again, primarily in the east of the country (Teufelbauer et al. 2024) – a great success of many years of conservation work in cooperation with international partners. A key tool in this effort is the GPS monitoring program. BirdLife Austria has already fitted over 50 young birds with transmitters that provide data on flight paths, resting places, and threats. Thanks to integrated motion sensors, researchers can even determine when a bird has died. For example, it became clear that, sadly, many young eagles fall victim to illegal persecution (Hohenegger et al. 2023; Schmidt et al. 2023). These and other findings form the basis for targeted conservation measures: public education, specialized training for police and the judiciary to combat wildlife crime, and joint projects with other countries to protect important habitats along migration routes. A particularly exciting aspect: Eagles with GPS transmitters have already traveled to 24 European countries! Some even manage to cover up to 300 kilometers in a single day (Schmidt 2024).