I am happy to announce the 3rd interview about the Short-toed Eagle published here on europeanraptors.org. This time, Francesco Petretti explains the current situation of the Short-toed Eagle in Italy.
Click here to read the interview:
Interview with Francesco Petretti about the Short-toed Eagle in Italy
Also make sure to check out Francesco’s book:
“L’aquila dei serpenti” – Francesco Petretti’s book
White-tailed Eagle, Germany, June 2009, © Markus Jais
Few birds are as impressive as the huge White-tailed Eagle. The largest Eagle in Europe with a wingspan up to 245cm, the Sea Eagle, as it is also known, is always a spectacular sight.
Fortunately, today it is also a much more common sight than it was 40 years ago. Thanks to conservation efforts across Europe, plenty of prey and less persecution, the White-tailed Eagle has made an amazing comeback in many European countries. One of them is Austria where the species was completely extinct until in 1999 the first pair tried to breed again.
Today there are already between 13-15 breeding pairs and the future looks bright, despite losses through illegal poisoning or lead poisoning.
In a new interview, Remo Probst, one of the leading experts on the species in Europe, describes the current situation of this amazing eagle in Austria:
Read the full interview here:
Interview with Remo Probst about the White-tailed Eagle in Austria
Also have a look at the PDFs available at the end of the interview.
Two young Red Kites from central Spain in their release pen in central England in the mid-1990s.
© Ian Carter
The Red Kite is a beautiful and elegant raptor for which Europe has a very high responsibility as almost all of the world population breeds in Europe.
The story of the Red Kite in Europe in Europe is a mixed one. While habitat destruction and especially illegal poisoning is threatening populations in some countries like Spain, the British population has made a spectacular comeback thanks to conservation efforts for the small population that survived in Wales and also thanks to successful reintroduction programmes in Scotland and England.
Despite ongoing persecution, especially in some parts of Scotland, the story of the Red Kite in the UK in recent decades is a very positive and encouraging one.
In this new interview, Red Kite expert Ian Carter talks about the current situation of this beautiful raptor in the UK, about the conservation efforts and the threats the species is facing.
Click here for the full interview:
Interview with Ian Carter about the Red Kite in the UK
Brian Etheridge with friend.
© Martin Benson
The Hen Harrier is one of the most beautiful and elegant European birds. It is a raptor of open habitat and can be found in many European countries, although it is only a rare breeding bird in some countries like Germany.
The Hen Harrier in the UK is in constant conflict with grouse hunting and grouse managers see a threat in them (and in other raptors like Common Buzzards or Golden Eagles) and some kill them.
It is sad that in the 21st century, conservation organisations, bird watchers and others who care about birds must still fight illegal persecution of raptors in Europe.
Other threats include habitat deterioration or disturbance.
In this new interview, Brian Etheridge, an expert on the species explains the current situation of the Hen Harrier in the UK, the conflict with grouse hunting, the competition of Hen Harriers with other raptors or the effect of badly placed windfarms.
Brian also explains what can and must be done to secure the future of this wonderful raptors in the UK.
The full interview can be found here:
Interview with Brian Etheridge about the Hen Harrier in the UK
Poisoned Spanish Imperial Eagle
© Fernando Saura
Illegal poisoning of raptors is – sadly – still a serious problem for raptors in many parts of Europe. No matter if it is Eastern Imperial Eagles in Austria, Common Buzzards in Germany or Cinereous Vultures in Spain, the use of poison to kill raptors and other wildlife is a serious and disgusting crime.
But many people and organisations are fighting illegal poisoning. In Spain, SEO/BirdLife has long been fighting illegal poisoning.
In this new interview, Beatriz Sanchez from SEO/BirdLife Spain talks about the current state of illegal poisoning of raptors in Spain, how many birds have been killed during the last years, what the legal situation is and what SEO/BirdLife Spain and other organisations are doing to stop it.
Find the interview here:
Interview with Beatriz Sanchez from SEO/BirdLife Spain about illegal raptor poisoning in Spain
White-tailed Eagle nestling
©Emil Todorov
I am happy to announce another interview about the White-tailed Eagle, Europe’s largest eagle. This time, Emil Todorov from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds explains the current situation of this magnificent raptor in Bulgaria.
Interview with Emil Todorov about the White-tailed Eagle in Bulgaria
As in many other countries, the population of the White-tailed Eagle in Bulgaria has increased during the last years, although habitat loss is a threat – as in many other countries.
Emil explains the development of the population, the habitat and prey used by the eagles and which trees they use for nesting. He also explains current threats, wintering populations and what needs to be done to protect the species in the future.
Read the interview to learn more:
Interview with Emil Todorov about the White-tailed Eagle in Bulgaria
Golden Eagle
© Mike McGrady
I am happy to announce the first interview about Golden Eagles here on europeanraptors.org:
http://europeanraptors.org/interviews/interview_golden_eagle_great_britain_mike_mcgrady.html
The Golden Eagle is one of the largest and most spectacular raptors in Europe. In Great Britain lives a population of over 400 pairs. In this new interview, Mike McGrady, one of the leading experts on the Golden Eagle, talks about the current situation of this large raptor in Great Britain. Mike explains the current threats and what must be done to secure a future for Golden Eagles.
Mike also explains many interested details about the biology of the bird.
If you are interested in Golden Eagles, I highly recommend reading the interview.
Fulvio Genero
A new interview is available, this time with Fulvio Genero about vultures in Italy.
Interview with Fulvio Genero about vultures in Italy
Fulvio has also written an article in the wonderful new book about European vultures:
New vulture book: Vultures, feeding stations and sanitary legislation: a conflict and its consequences from the perspective of conservation biology
The Raptor Research Foundation (RRF) is a professional society for raptor researchers and conservationists worldwide. It’s goal is the accumulation and dissemination of scientific information about raptors.
I am happy to announce a new interview with Ruth Tingay about the RRF:
Interview with Ruth Tingay about the Raptor Research Foundation
In this interview, Ruth Tingay, currently president of RRF talks about the goals and the work of the RRF. She explains what the RRF does for raptor research, what work is done in Europe, how everyone can get involved with the RRF and what you can do to help the RRF.
If you are not already a member of the RRF I highly recommend becoming one. I’ve been a member for years and I am proud to be one. The RRF publishes the The Journal of Raptor Research which is one of the best journals about the biology and conservation of raptors and although written in a scientific style, the articles are normally easily readable for everyone interested in raptors.
Ruth also discusses here latest book called “The Eagle Watchers” which I highly recommend. See the interview for more information.
Montagu’s Harrier, © Andrzej Lukijanczuk
A new interview is available:
Interview with Dominik Krupinski about the Montagu’s Harrier in Poland
The Montagu’s Harrier is one of the most elegant raptors in Europe. In many places it is threatened by habitat loss and the intensification in agriculture. In this interview Dominik Krupinski talks about the current situation in Poland. He explains the current population status, the threats to the species, research programs and what is done for the Montagu’s Harrier’s conservation. He also gives a short overview of the status of the other European harrier species in Poland.