Marian Stój, Robert Kruszyk, Tomasz Baziak
Ornis Polonica 2023, 64: 261-272
https://doi.org/10.12657/ornis.2023.4.1
Abstract: In total 29–34 pairs of the Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos were recorded in the Polish Carpathians (area of 7,730 km2) in the years 2019–2023 (with the density of 0.39–0.43 pairs/100 km2 of the entire area). In total, 13–14 pairs were recorded in the Eastern Carpathians, 13–17 pairs in the Outer Western Carpathians and three pairs in Central Western Carpathians. The population size was slightly higher than observed in 2008–2015, and lower than in 1997–2007 and 2008–2011, however significantly more numerous than in 1993–1996. The mean nesting success in the years 2019–2023 was 65.0%, the mean number of fledglings per breeding pair – 0.68, and the number of juveniles per pair with breeding success – 1.04. The reproductive parameters of the Carpathian population varied from year to year. The highest nesting success (82.4%) was recorded in 2021, and the lowest (50%) in 2023. Total breeding losses (28 cases, 35% of broods) were caused mainly by adverse weather conditions. It is disturbing that there are too few pairs breeding in a given year. The variation in nesting success in subsequent years was affected by several factors such as weather conditions during the breeding season, increased forest penetration, available food resources, which were limited by reduced areas of foraging grounds due to human activity, dispersed housing development, as well as secondary succession and afforestation. The conservation plans currently being implemented for Natura 2000 sites concentrating the majority of the Carpathian Golden Eagle population, focused on, among other things, improving the availability and quality of foraging grounds, should be conducive to increasing breeding success.
Keywords: Aquila chrysaetos, Carpathians, distribution, golden eagle, golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos, numbers, reproductive parameters
