WHERE EAGLES DARE
Description
It is difficult to find another creature quite as representative of the Alpine environment as the
golden eagle, which has become a symbol of the freedom and the integrity of the
Alps. The eagle, however, has not always been the undisputed king of the area: excessive, uncontrolled hunting and changes in territory have led to a dramatic reduction in numbers, and, although the golden eagle population today can be considered stable, it is still considered an endangered species, because human actions could rapidly change the current favourable situation. For this reason, the golden eagle is one of the bird species protected by a series of European norms.
The Italian and Austrian Alps is an important territory for the golden eagle, which requires a large amount of space (ranging from 30 to 100 km2) and therefore needs ample protected areas for its very survival. In 2001, five large alpine protected areas, among them the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park and the Hohe Tauern National Park made a commitment to a common project to evaluate the current situation of the golden eagle population and to develop a co-ordinated strategy to protect the species. This monitoring activity, which continued for three years, made it possible to study eight pairs in the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park. Forty-nine nests were identified, most of them at an altitude ranging from 1000 m to 1400 m. In the Hohe Tauern National Park, the presence of 42 breeding pairs was documented; 12% of the total Austrian golden eagle population is to be found in the Park.
It is not an impossible task to observe golden eagles in flight in the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park and the Hohe Tauern National Park : with a minimum of training to distinguish the eagle from other species, and a little knowledge of the bird’s habits, anyone can experience the thrill of telling their friends they’ve actually seen a golden eagle.
If you are planning to visit the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park, you might like to know that you can watch this majestic bird of prey in flight on a trip to the Erera Brendol plateau, on Monte Vallazza, on Monte Serva or in Val Pramper. [T.S.]
by the way
How can you recognise an eagle? It has long, fairly narrow wings, with a linear shape, which taper notably in towards the bird’s body, a medium-length tail and a protruding head. It is dark brown in colour; the back of the neck and the top of the head are golden-yellow. Young birds’ feathers are dotted with white markings. The primary remiges, or main feathers, spread out wide as the bird glides. The golden eagle population in Italy is estimated at around 476 - 541 pairs. Numbers appear to be falling in the Apennines, while in the Alps they remain stable. In
Austria there are estimated to be around 260 - 360 pairs. For the moment the populations are considered stable everywhere. In the whole of Europe (including the former Eastern Block countries and the part of Russia which lies in
Europe) golden eagle pairs number around 8400 to 11000.
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