Third International Scientific and Practical Conference “Eagles of the Palearctic: Study and Conservation”

Monitoring the Breeding Territory of the Short-Toed Eagle

Zhatkanbaev A.Zh. (Institute of Zoology, Almaty; NGO “Ecological Club”; Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve of the Forestry and Wildlife Committee under the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan)
Dosov N.M. (NGO “Ecological Club”, Kazakhstan)
Grachev A.A. (Institute of Zoology, Almaty; Community Trust “Wildlife without borders”, Kazakhstan)
Musyrpanov E.S. (Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve of the Forestry and Wildlife Committee under the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan)
Shmygalev S.S. (Sunkar Falcon Center, Almaty, Kazakhstan)

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Contact:
Altai Zhatkanbaev kz.wildlife@gmail.com
Nurlan Dosov nurland007@mail.com
Aleksey Grachev Aleksey.Al.grachev@gmail.com
Ermek Musyrpanov Ile-balkhash@mail.kz
Sergey Shmygalev shmyga-sunkar@mail.ru
Recommended citation: Zhatkanbaev A.Zh., Dosov N.M., Grachev A.A., Musyrpanov E.S., Shmygalev S.S. Monitoring the Breeding Territory of the Short-Toed Eagle. – Raptors Conservation. 2023. S2: 84–86. DOI: 10.19074/1814-8654-2023-2-84-86 URL: http://rrrcn.ru/en/archives/34896

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In the breeding seasons of 2013–2023, monitoring of the permanent breeding territory of a pair of Short-Toed Eagles (Circaetus gallicus) was conducted in the southern shore of Lake Balkhash, in the transition landscape of wetland to desert biome, in a wooded area dominated by Turanga Poplar (Populus diversifolia).

It was found that, at least during the 2017, 2021, and 2022 nesting seasons, nearly fully feathered chicks were eaten by an Asiatic Wildcat (Felis lybica ornata) shortly before they fledged from their nests. All nests observed during the monitoring periods were located in the uppermost center of a poplar tree crown. Starting in 2021, a DJI Mavic 2 PRO quadrocopter was used for monitoring.

Using a Bushnell Nature View 12MP camera trap in 2017, an Asiatic wildcat was found to have repeatedly visited the nest at the top of a tall poplar tree during the nesting season, but did not eat neither the egg nor the chick at various stages of its development. A pair of Short-Toed Eagles from this nest was tolerant of a pair of Shikras, or little banded Goshawkes (Accipiter badius), nesting 5 m away in a neighboring poplar. Adult Shikras, on the contrary, showed aggressive behavior toward Short-Toed Eagles approaching their nest, especially after their chicks had hatched.

Notably, in 2022 and 2023 the Short-Toed Eagles reused the same nest. Moreover, despite a negative breeding outcome in 2022, the pair successfully raised a nestling in 2023 until it fledged from the nest. The nestling sometimes accompanied by one of the parents, was still in this poplar grove in late August and early September of 2023, often resting in a large poplar 70 m from the nest. The nest itself also continued to be used as a roost and foraging area, where prey, mainly Long-Eared Hedgehogs (

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