6488 returns to 2021 summer territory

Greater spotted eagle (6488) after arriving back at Al Jahra, October 2021.

We have been tracking a Greater spotted eagle (6488) since January 2020, when we caught it at Al Jahra, Kuwait.  In summer 2020 it wandered widely in the breeding range, and did not hold a breeding territory (below left). In winter 2020-21, it returned to Al Jahra, then migrated in spring and settled into a territory in summer 2021 at a location about 90 km SE of Chelyabinsk, Russia (below right).  The blog we did for summer 2021 is here.

Movements of a Greater spotted eagle (6488) during January 2020 - October 2021.  Right panel: 2020 movements, Left panel: 2021 movement. Blue = winter movements, Purple = spring migration, Red = summer movements, Green = Autumn migration. ©KEL and IAR.

In winter 2021-22, it was again at Al Jahra, and on 25 March it left on spring migration, and has arrived back at the same summering location it used in 2021 (See below).  The breeding season is still young, so we don't yet have a clear indication whether this bird will breed in 2022.  

Breeding season locations of a Greater spotted eagle (6488) in July 2021 (purple) and April 2022 (yellow). ©KEL and IAR.

It is interesting, but not unusual for eagles to show fidelity to their breeding and wintering places.  One Greater spotted eagle tagged at a nesting site in Poland, returned every year for ten years.  That bird also showed fidelity every year to its wintering area, which was along the upper reaches of the Nile River on the border between Sudan and South Sudan.

Winter 2021-22, Long-legged buzzards

Long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus). Photo: © Christoph Moning via e-bird https://ebird.org/species/lolbuz1 

The winter has passed, and most of the raptors that wintered at Al Jahra have migrated. During the winter of 2021-22 we were able to deploy GPS tracking devices on more raptors, so that currently we are tracking six Greater Spotted Eagles, two Steppe Eagles, and two Long-legged Buzzards.  All of those have embarked on their spring migration, and some have already reached breeding areas in Europe and Asia.  In the next few posts, we'll catch up with what the tracked birds are doing.

In late March we captured two Long-legged Buzzards (Buteo rufinus), and fitted them with transmitters.  Long-legged Buzzards are rather large buzzards with a very big distribution (See below).  They are considered of Least-Concern in terms of conservation because of their wide distribution and large population size (See here).  They feed on a variety of animals, including snakes, lizards, and small to medium sized mammals.  You can read more about them here. 

Distribution of Long-legged Buzzard.  Yellow = Native Breeding, Dark Green = Native Resident, Light Green = Passage, Dark Blue = Native Non-breeding.

After wandering around a bit in Kuwait, both birds (8696 and 8697) recently started on migration.  8696 started proper migration on 12 April, and 8697 started on 6 April.  See the maps below.  As of today, both birds are in north-central Iran.  Although both birds are currently within the breeding grounds, we'll have to wait to see where they eventually settle.  In fact they might not settle, but could spend the summer living a rather nomadic lifestyle, moving from place to place in search of food.  Of course if they do that, they will not hold a territory and will not breed.

Movements of a Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus, 8696) during 22 March - 15 April 2022. ©KEL and IAR.

Movements of a Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus, 8697) during 27 March - 15 April 2022. ©KEL and IAR.