Conservation Ecology of Bonelli's Eagle and Habitat Dynamics

Bonelli’s eagle (Aquila fasciata) is a top predator of Mediterranean and temperate landscapes, exhibiting strict territoriality and high site fidelity. Its conservation ecology is shaped by prey availability, nesting substrate, human disturbance and climatic variation. Habitat fragmentation and land‐use change have reduced breeding densities in Europe, prompting the establishment of protected areas and agri‐environment schemes. Prey communities, notably rabbits and partridges, fluctuate under disease outbreaks and hunting pressure, altering foraging success and reproductive output. Climate‐driven shifts in vegetation and prey distribution further modify habitat suitability, demanding dynamic management. Contemporary conservation integrates high‐resolution tracking, dietary monitoring and predictive modelling to guide habitat restoration, corridor design and mitigation of human–wildlife conflict. Cross‐scale understanding of territory use, resource partitioning and behavioural plasticity underpins adaptive strategies that reconcile regional land‐use demands with long‐term species viability.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated that intrusive monitoring techniques, such as poorly timed installation of video surveillance cameras near nest sites, can incur reproductive costs for Bonelli’s eagle. Field evidence spanning two decades shows reduced breeding success and delayed laying dates when cameras are placed during sensitive phases, underscoring the need for careful planning and minimal disturbance during deployment and maintenance.

Innovative applications of fuzzy logic have quantified the disequilibrium between eagle distributions and shifting climate favourability. By modelling gradual habitat membership rather than binary presence–absence, researchers have measured the latitudinal lag in range adjustment and estimated the pace at which climatically suitable areas become occupied, offering a nuanced tool for forecasting habitat dynamics under future climate scenarios.

Conservation Ecology of Bonelli's Eagle and Habitat Dynamics publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in conservation ecology of bonelli's eagle and habitat dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Home range: the spatial area habitually used by an individual or pair to forage, roost and breed.

Kernel density estimation: a statistical technique that generates a utilisation distribution from point‐location data to delineate core and peripheral areas.

Stable isotope analysis: a method to reconstruct dietary sources by measuring ratios of isotopes (e.g. carbon, nitrogen) in biological tissues.

Species distribution model: a computational tool that relates occurrence records to environmental variables to predict habitat suitability.

Fuzzy logic: an approach to handle uncertainty by assigning continuous membership values rather than strict binary classifications.

References

1. Potential negative effects of the installation of video surveillance cameras in raptors’ nests. Scientific Reports (2022).
2. Fuzzy sets allow gaging the extent and rate of species range shift due to climate change. Scientific Reports (2020).
3. Home-Range Size and Space Use of Territorial Bonelli’s Eagles (Aquila fasciata) Tracked by High-Resolution GPS/GSM Telemetry. Diversity (2022).
4. Multi-Scale Effects of Nestling Diet on Breeding Performance in a Terrestrial Top Predator Inferred from Stable Isotope Analysis. PLOS ONE (2014).
5. Updating Known Distribution Models for Forecasting Climate Change Impact on Endangered Species. PLOS ONE (2013).
6. Laying the Foundations for a Human-Predator Conflict Solution: Assessing the Impact of Bonelli's Eagle on Rabbits and Partridges. PLOS ONE (2011).