How the war in Ukraine threatens the survival of migrating eagles

Wars destroy, not only millions of human lives, but also entire ecosystems and the living creatures in them. A recent study revealed that one such devastating consequence can be seen in great spotted eagles, an already vulnerable species, also known as migrating eagles.

The researchers of this study, published in the American scientific journal ‘Current Biology’, that the spotted eagle has largely disappeared in western and central Europe, but a population persists in Polesie, a marshy region located along the border between Ukraine and Belarus.

Photo: Amber Wolfe / Unsplash

The war in Ukraine exposes spotted eagles to great danger. In fact, to reach their breeding area, in the south of Belarus, these birds must cross areas of intense conflict. And since they usually fly at a low altitude, they are even more exposed to artillery fire and drones.

To carry out this study, scientists equipped 19 spotted eagles with GPS transmitters, in order to follow their flights, between March and April 2022, i.e. at the start of the Russian invasion in Ukraine.

Photo: Sohan Rayguru / Unsplash

The researchers then compared these flights to the ones carried out between 2018 and 2021, before the war.

The results were surprising. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, eagles have traveled an average of 85 km (53 miles) more to avoid the war zone. One of the birds followed by the team of researchers even flew 55 hours more than usual to reach its breeding area, GEO magazine reported.

The study also revealed that, during the migration, 90% of eagles stopped in Ukraine between 2018 and 2021, compared to only 32% in 2022.

These lengthening of journeys may seem anecdotal, however, they could have disastrous consequences on the survival of this species.

Photo: Mathew Schwartz / Unsplash

According to the researchers, these changes associated with the conflict in Ukraine have had effects on the physical conditions of the eagles, because they require much more energy. This increases their risk of mortality, but also their stress, and can impact reproductive success, in addition to delaying mating.

Photo: Pralea Vasile / Pixabay

Scientists also point out that these poor physical conditions can affect the supply of chicks, thus endangering their survival.

Quoted by ‘The Guardian’, Josh Milburn, a philosopher at Loughborough University who specializes in ethical issues relating to animals and war, said the study added to what was already known about the negative effects of war on animals.

Photo: Divide By Zero / Unsplash

"The results of this study echo what we know from previous research, focusing on other war zones: war has an extremely negative impact on wild animals, both in terms of conservation goals and 'in terms of the suffering of individual animals,' he said.

Moreover, because of the ongoing war, Ukrainian NGO’s can hardly preserve natural habitats.

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