Investigating dispersal and survival in Crowned Solitary Eagles using satellite telemetry

Objectives:

We are tracking Crowned Eagles in Argentina to 1) document mortality rates among juvenile eagles, 2) document causes of mortality to better manage the species, 3) discover where fledglings disperse after leaving the nest, and 4) estimating the age to first reproduction. This information will provide CCB and its conservation partners critical metrics for estimating population growth and other important data needed to conserve this endangered species.
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Project Description:

CCB and its partners are using GPS transmitters to investigate the habitat use, movement patterns, and causes of mortality in juvenile Crowned Eagles. The Crowned Eagle (Harpyhaliaetus coronatus) has been considered an endangered species by IUCN since 2004. The world population was estimated at less than 1000 individuals and their populations are declining. This is a large snake eagle that inhabits open woodlands in xerophytic forests of different biomes along its distribution that ranges from southern Brazil to northern Patagonia in Argentina. Human persecution is the most significant threat to the endangered Crowned Eagle in central Argentina. This is because of an incorrect local belief that the eagles prey on livestock. The tracking data is critical in understanding the interactions between local ranchers and eagles and the changing human perceptions on eagles and livestock.


Years: 2012 – present
Status: Ongoing
Project Partners: Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Centro para el Estudio y Conservación de las Aves Rapaces en Argentina (CECARA), Chase Community Giving, The Peregrine Fund
CCB Staff: Libby Mojica, Bryan Watts, Bart Paxton
Project Contact: Bryan Watts bdwatt@wm.edu (757) 221-2247