Results of the breeding success of the Imperial Eagles in Bulgaria for 2018

This year, the number of Imperial Eagle pairs increased by another one, and after three years without a change in the population, they are now 29. In spring, 21 of them started incubtion. A large percentage started breeding very early, around mid-March. On the other hand, seven of the traditionally breeding pairs began to breed very late - only in the middle of April, most likely because of the sudden changes in weather.

In 2018, the number of juveniles in Bulgaria is 24. The average breeding success was 1.14 juveniles for a breeding pair, which is close to the value for the last three years - 1.2 juveniles for a breeding pair. This is a very good indicator and gives hope for increasing the population of the species in Bulgaria. In three of the pairs, the juveniles left the nests between the 25th and the 31st of August, which is a record for the later take-off for the population not only in the country but also around the world.

In European Turkey, the Imperial eagle pairs are being monitored by a team of BSPB and Doğa Derneği / BirdLife Turkey. The breeding success of the species there is very high - 1.4 juveniles for a breeding pair. For comparison, last year it was 1.36 juveniles for a breeding pair, and in 2016 - 0.98. As a whole, the Thracian population of the species is still in the process of increasing, currently ranging from 80 to 90 pairs.

Studying the status of the Bulgarian population of the Imperial eagle is an important part of the LIFE project "Land for Life".

Photo:  © Márton Horváth