How are we protecting

How we are protecting Greater Spotted Eagles?

2012-03-25 20:00:32 | autor: Ptaki Polskie DRUKUJ
Greater Spotted Eagles need extensive marshes to be able to hunt and wet, inaccessible woods to breed. We are protecting Greater Spotted Eagles by protecting these habitats.
Landowners and farmers have stopped the traditional hay mowing and grazing. Because of this, wet meadows with low vegetation are being taken over by scrubs and trees becoming useless for many important birds.
 
The wet meadowland is disappearing and with it are disappearing Greater Spotted Eagles, Aquatic Warblers, Ruffs and other birds of this traditional habitat.
 
 
 
Through increasing the ground water levels, removing shrubs and tress, we want to restore the conditions in the Biebrza Valley in which Greater Spotted Eagles can thrive.
 
As part of our project, we will mow hay on at least 1 000 hectares of meadows and will remove shrubs and tress from 500 hectares.
 
Greater Spotted Eagle is an “umbrella species”. What does it mean?
Unique peat lands and wet woods which we are conserving for the Greater Spotted Eagle are also habitats for many other rare birds. Our actions will also benefit Aquatic Warblers, Great Snipes, Black Terns, Ruffs, Black-tailed Godwits and Montagu’s Harriers.
 
Increasing the number of attractive nests
To build a nest and breed, Greater Spotted Eagles need large old trees.
Greater Spotted Eagles mostly choose trees which are 60 years old and older!
 

The Eagles like it when such trees are in wet and inaccessible woods. However there are fewer such trees and such woods than before…
During the project we will construct and erect 30 breeding platforms.

These will provide attractive positions where the Eagles will be able to breed and raise future generations of chicks. The more chicks breed, the better the chances for the increase in the population of Greater Spotted Eagles in the Biebrza Valley.
 

What does such a breeding platform look like?


Our research and observations confirm that Greater Spotted Eagles actually use these platforms for nesting.

Some of the platforms are positioned where there used to be real nests which have either fallen down or have been damaged. New platforms are erected new water bodies, river or streams, well away from human habitat, in old wet woods .

Platforms are made from natural materials. The mounting & erection process, because of its difficulty, can be a real technical challenge for the ornithologists.
Once a platform has been constructed, special protection needs to be added against mammalian predators such as pine martens. This is done by smearing the tree trunks and branches with turpentine which is a tried and  tested method of deterrence by strong smell otherwise harmless for wildlife.
 
Promoting payments to farmers
Agri-environmental schemes are offered to those farmers who decide to farm in a specific way so that the natural environment or specifically certain species can benefit.
 
When farmers join such schemes, they receive payments in return for managing their land in an extensive way. This may involve mid-field woodlots and plantings, putting a stop to the use of chemicals or other actions depending on the acreage and the type of scheme.
 
Hunting areas of Greater Spotted Eagle very often overlap with farmland. Therefore not only Greater Spotted Eagle can benefit from appropriately selected agri-environmental or forest environmental schemes, but also farmers, land owners and tenants in the Biebrza Valley.
 
Zone protection

The richness of nature in the Biebrza Valley attracts not only rare bird species, but also tourists, birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts.
Greater Spotted Eagle are exceptionally shy birds. Once a pair of Greater Spotted Eagle is startled by people while on the nest, they may abandon both the nest and their chicks for good.

When we go into forests, we should remember that they are habitats to a wide range of wildlife which must not be disturbed. Unfortunately not everyone remembers about it.
In order to prevent human disturbance and allow Greater Spotted Eagle to breed and raise their young peacefully, there are 20 exclusion zones set up around each of the nests. During the breeding period, between April and July, the excluded areas are within 500 metres from the nest and 200 metres outside of this period.

 
Research and monitoring
The research and monitoring of GCE during the project will enable us to better know their behaviour and their needs which can be used to provide better protection for this species.
 

What actions are undertaken?
Ringing is a tested method which can be very efficient in collecting important data about animals’ biology and ethology.

GPS tags – with GPS technology we can remotely record the birds’ movements, migratory routes and wintering places.
It also allows us to determine the eagles’ range in the Biebrza Valley and the location of their breeding areas.
The data can be received and analysed quickly and the GPS tags can be active for up to 2 years.
 
CCTV monitoring of nests – we have special cameras installed at nests which enable us to observe the birds’ daily activities without disturbing them. In addition, there will be an online ‘live’ transmission from the nests available for everyone to watch on our website.
 
The cameras are installed at nests in spring, before the birds are back from their wintering sites. The choice of sites at which to mount the cameras is very careful and only those nests qualify which were actually lived in by the eagles during the previous season.
 
In case the eagles do not come back to the nest which has been equipped with the came, naturally the camera is not moved to a nest with birds before such time as the young have hatched. The avoidance of any disturbance is the highest priority.
 
Cross-border protection and international cooperation
Birds do not recognise frontiers .
Therefore our project contains elements of international cooperation with the neighbouring states: we exchange experiences, we learn from mistakes, and we strive towards more efficient joint ventures in the future.
Within the project we plan to establish cooperation with the neighbouring countries where Greater Spotted EaglesSs also breed and where actions similar to our project are undertaken. 
 
Preventing hybridisation

Hybridisation between Greater Spotted Eagle and Lesser Spotted Eagle occurs when a pair is formed by birds of these two species. Such hybridisation is still very poorly researched or understood.

What we know is that drainage of previously wet areas occupied by Greater Spotted Eagle causes Lesser Spotted Eagle to penetrate them.
 
Hybrid pairs are formed and breed chicks which have features of both species. This is dangerous for the purity of genes pool of both Greater Spotted Eagle and Lesser Spotted Eagle.
 

One of the main tasks of the project is to establish permanent differences between feeding areas of each of the birds.
Lesser Spotted Eagles like to choose lightly wet mowed meadows which abound in voles and various species of amphibians.

 

Currently Lesser Spotted Eagle occupies territories of Greater Spotted Eagle which have been changed by humans, drained and over-dried.
 A typical hunting territory of Greater Spotted Eagle is a natural, extensive and periodically flooded marshland. Lesser Spotted Eagle is not successful in such territories.
 

We are building a weir over one of the drainage ditches in order to increase water retention in the marshes, especially during the large spring flooding. This is one of actions undertaken in this project by the Biebrza National Park towards restoring natural water levels. It should in turn stop or restrict the hybridisation of the two eagles and increase the number of Greater Spotted Eagles in the whole valley.

 
Promotion and education
Our actions and efforts to protects Greater Spotted Eagle may be in vain if we do not have the support of the communities of the Biebrza Valley.
The project will only be successful if we can work together with local people. After all, they share on a daily basis the vast spaces of the meandering Biebrza.
 

This is the reason why we plan to create a Greater Spotted Eagle Centre in Goniądz for both the National Park visitors and locals.
The Centre’s main role will be to provide information about Greater Spotted Eagle. It will also be the place to watch live CCTV camera transmission showing a family of Greater Spotted Eagle on a nest.

We will also publish leaflets, calendars, posters and newsletters which will all have plenty of information about the conservation methods and the eagles themselves. Hopefully, these help us in promoting Greater Spotted Eagle which is one of the least known eagles in Poland.

 
Involving schools through Biebrza National Park

An educational programme, developed especially by specialists at the Biebrza National Park will help teachers in involving school children in nature conservation and will increase the sense of responsibility for the fragile world of wildlife around us.
Before anybody can develop deep feelings for the Greater Spotted Eagle and become involved in its conservation, they first need to learn about them and understand why conservation actions are necessary.