War in Ukraine hampers migration of lesser spotted eagles
The war in Ukraine has also serious consequences for animals and birds. Among other things, it disrupts bird migration patterns. Researchers in the UK and Estonia report that the lesser spotted eagle, a species whose numbers had already been declining in recent decades, suffered a disruption in their migratory patterns.
Charlie Russell, a PhD student at the University of East Anglia, and her colleagues, including Ülo Väli from the Estonian University of Life Sciences (EMU), used GPS devices to track the migration of great-horned eagles before and after the start of Russia's full-fredged invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Before the war escalated and intensified, the main concerns for migratory birds were severe weather conditions or the intensification of human activity in halting sites; now, fighting and troop movements have compounded these concerns, the researchers write in the journal Current Biology.
Data from GPS devices shows that the lesser spotted eagles have deviated significantly from their usual migratory routes. They are now spending less time than before, or avoiding altogether, their usual stopping and feeding places.
Because of the longer journey time, the lesser spotted eagles have reached their nesting sites later than usual ans their physical condition may be weaker than in the past.
During the spring migration in 2022, the 19 lesser spotted eagles tracked had an average journey length of 85 kilometers. The migration's duration increased by 50-60 hours. The average flight speed of males also decreased.
Only six out of 19 birds stopped over in Ukraine, compared to 18 out of 20 in previous years.
The researchers' findings are particularly distressing due to the lesser spotted eagle's classification as a threatened species on the red list.
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Editor: Kristina Kersa
