TY - JOUR

T1 - Individual spatiotemporal histories of first year Golden Eagles in Denmark using GPS-tracking

AU - Tøttrup, Anders P.

AU - Larsen, Jonas Colling

AU - Nielsen, Jan Tøttrup

AU - Christophersen, Hans

AU - Thorup, Kasper

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Abstract The Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos established a breeding population in Denmark in 1998. Since then, at least 53 individu-als have fledged yet the breeding population has remained small at 3-5 pairs. In this study, we used GPS/GSM-tracking technologyto investigate dispersal and present individual spatiotemporal histories during the first year of life of Danish Golden Eagles, withnotes on survival and causes of mortality. In total, nine individuals were tagged with GPS/GSM-transmitters during a seven-yearperiod (2015-2021). Our results show that six individuals managed to disperse (> 5 km from nesting site), while three individuals diedbefore dispersal. Status at the end of the study for the tagged individuals was: three were alive, the fate of two was unknown, andfour were dead. We found a median fledging date of 3 July (ranging 15 June to 28 July) and a median dispersal date of 2 December(ranging 14 October to 21 April the following year). Mean dispersal distance for all dispersed individuals from nest site was 99 km(range 0.7-272 km) at the age of six months. By the age of one year, mean distance from nest site was 68 km (range 5-166 km). Ourstudy confirms high mortality during the first year as shown in a number of other studies and provides further evidence that firstyear dispersal period is critical for juvenile Golden Eagles. This study contributes important knowledge for future conservation andmanagement of Golden Eagles breeding in Denmark.

AB - Abstract The Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos established a breeding population in Denmark in 1998. Since then, at least 53 individu-als have fledged yet the breeding population has remained small at 3-5 pairs. In this study, we used GPS/GSM-tracking technologyto investigate dispersal and present individual spatiotemporal histories during the first year of life of Danish Golden Eagles, withnotes on survival and causes of mortality. In total, nine individuals were tagged with GPS/GSM-transmitters during a seven-yearperiod (2015-2021). Our results show that six individuals managed to disperse (> 5 km from nesting site), while three individuals diedbefore dispersal. Status at the end of the study for the tagged individuals was: three were alive, the fate of two was unknown, andfour were dead. We found a median fledging date of 3 July (ranging 15 June to 28 July) and a median dispersal date of 2 December(ranging 14 October to 21 April the following year). Mean dispersal distance for all dispersed individuals from nest site was 99 km(range 0.7-272 km) at the age of six months. By the age of one year, mean distance from nest site was 68 km (range 5-166 km). Ourstudy confirms high mortality during the first year as shown in a number of other studies and provides further evidence that firstyear dispersal period is critical for juvenile Golden Eagles. This study contributes important knowledge for future conservation andmanagement of Golden Eagles breeding in Denmark.

M3 - Journal article

VL - 117

SP - 131

EP - 137

JO - Dansk Ornitologisk Forenings Tidsskrift

JF - Dansk Ornitologisk Forenings Tidsskrift

SN - 0011-6394

IS - 2

ER -