France Sees A Doubling Of Eagle Mating Pairs After Decades Of Successful Work

France Sees A Doubling Of Eagle Mating Pairs After Decades Of Successful Work

France Sees A Doubling Of Eagle Mating Pairs After Decades Of Successful Work A Bonelli’s eagle feeding its chick – credit, Leonardo Fernández Lázaro CC 4.0. BY-SA 51 breeding pairs of Bonelli’s eagles have been recorded in France’s Mediterranean regions, more than double the number recorded in the early 21st century. Though considered a species of least concern in the world, Bonelli’s eagle is vulnerable in Europe, and threatened in France, where it nests on cliffs and hunts small mammals. The survey of mating pairs was published on July 28th by the Roussillon Ornithological Group. In 1999, around 20 breeding pairs returned from their winter migration, representing a population collapse of over 75% from previous highs. The resulting years saw three successive National Action Plans (NAPs) which employed traditional raptor conservation strategies like habitat protection, outreach to hunters, chick tagging, and satellite tracking to boost those numbers back above 50. The NAPs were organized b…