Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine for three years, it has been observed that the endangered greater spotted eagle is avoiding the Ukrainian region in its migration routes.
According to a report by the BBC on the 21st, a joint research team from the University of Life Sciences in Estonia and the British Ornithology Trust confirmed in a report published in Current Biology that the migration route of the greater spotted eagle has significantly changed from the past. The greater spotted eagle, which used to migrate from Greece and the Sudd wetlands in South Sudan to the Belarus region every spring for breeding, used to fly through Ukraine. However, these birds have been avoiding this route or significantly spending less time staying in the area. The number of eagles stopping in Ukraine as a midway stopover dropped from 18 (90%) between 2018 and 2021 to just six in 2022. In particular, not a single eagle was spotted in 2022 at the Ukrainian stopover near Polesia, where eagles frequently used to visit in the past. According to experts, midway stopovers are essential for migrating birds to obtain food, water, and rest. In the process, it has been observed that the greater spotted eagles traveled about 53 miles more than before. Flight times also increased from 193 hours to 246 hours for females and from 125 hours to 181 hours for males.
Experts speculate that the change in the birds’ route is due to the war in Ukraine. Charlie Russell, a researcher at the University of East Anglia, said, “This research is a rare example showing how conflicts can affect wildlife.” However, the report stated that no individual birds with GPS attached were missing due to the war.
Experts expressed concern that such a situation could accelerate the decrease of the species. It causes delays in arrival at breeding sites and greater consumption of energy which could make mating more difficult for these birds. Jim Reynolds, an associate professor at the University of Birmingham, said, “There is no doubt that the conflict in Ukraine is fundamentally disrupting the ecology of migration of this species,” adding, “Anything that disrupts breeding of such vulnerable species is a big problem.”
The greater spotted eagle is a large raptor classified as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It spends the winter in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and East Africa, and migrates to Central and Eastern Europe, Central Russia, Central Asia, and parts of China for breeding season. It is occasionally spotted in Korea as well.