Bonelli's Eagle
Technology for Nature Conservation in Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac, Spain
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Created by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Huawei Tech4All programme, Tech4Nature is designed as an open partnership to apply and promote digital solutions for fair and effective protected areas.
In Spain, Tech4Nature selected Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac Natural Park as its flagship initiative. The aim of the project in this protected area was to improve the monitoring of a pair of breeding Bonelli's eagles while monitoring the relationship between visitor practices and the species' behavioural changes. The objective? To improve conservation, visitor management and territorial planning.
Do you want to learn some facts about the Bonelli's eagle or Aquila fasciata? Scroll down!
They are diurnal raptors, which are considered the animals with the highest visual acuity.
Its wings and back are a mix of darker feathers...
while its underparts are mostly white.
Its diet is composed mainly of rabbits, hares, and medium-sized birds, such as pigeons.
The female usually lays 1-2 eggs, which are incubated around 40 days.
Where do they live?
They are widely distributed throughout southern Europe, northern Africa, the Near and Middle East, India and southern China.
The majority of the population is located in the Western Mediterranean.
Around 80% of Europe's population is located in the Iberian Peninsula, where the species is classified as vulnerable.
There are 85 breeding pairs of Bonelli's eagles in Catalonia, where it is classified as endangered. One of these couples lives in Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac Natural Park.
Timeline
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July 2022
The technological architecture to be used in Tech4Nature Spain is defined.
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It includes several components:
- Cameras with microphones
- GPS trackers
- Axis Station software with metrics and alerts for potential territory expulsion, absences at the nest, users near the nest and noise thresholds
- Annual reports about spatial mobility, interactions and critical events
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© Leo Baquedano / Miranatura
© Leo Baquedano / Miranatura
October 2022
Three cameras powered by solar panels, with microphones integrated to detect noise disturbances, are installed:
- Two cameras observing the neighbouring trails
- One panoramic camera pointing at the nest
© Leo Baquedano / Miranatura
© Leo Baquedano / Miranatura
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Capture of the eagles © Bosch & Parés
Capture of the eagles © Bosch & Parés
December 2022
The pair of breeding Bonelli's eagles living in Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac Natural Park are captured, banded, and measured.
GPS transmitters with solar plates are installed on the two eagles to monitor their location and reproduction activity.
Monitoring System
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The experimental monitoring system includes a set of parameters to track the behaviour of the species, visitor mobility practices, and risk detection, based on the data gathered from the cameras and GPS trackers.
The implementation of this architecture and monitoring programme ensures the availability of a big database of information, key to ensure that park staff (managers, rangers, technicians, etc.) make informed decisions when it comes to territory and species management strategies.
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Eagle feathers © Bosch & Parés
Eagle feathers © Bosch & Parés
March 2023
The female eagle being monitored in the project spends 7 hours upside down on the ground and then flies again. The GPS trackers allow to establish the causes: a fight with a neighbour female, probably due to density dependence.
The normal reproduction period comes to an end, and the failure in reproduction is confirmed.
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Electrocuted male © Bosch & Parés
Electrocuted male © Bosch & Parés
April 2023
The monitored male eagle is found dead next to a communication tower. The GPS trackers allow to find the body before being predated.
Electrocution is established as the cause of the death. The autopsy confirms the theory.
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Last locations of the GPS transmitter © Bosch & Parés
Last locations of the GPS transmitter © Bosch & Parés
A black spot for the survival of the species is identified. The incident is reported to competent authorities for potential mitigation actions.
April 2023
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© Leo Baquedano / Miranatura
© Leo Baquedano / Miranatura
Only 17 days after the death of the monitored eagle, a new male is recruited and spotted by the camera pointing to the nest. Everything indicates that the male has paired with the female, and the possibility of reproduction in the next cycle is a reality.
KEY DATA
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© Bosch & Parés
© Bosch & Parés
5,511
GPS locations of the male eagle recorded in 106 days (15th December 2022 - 1st April 2023)
71 km2
Measurement of the vital domain of the monitored male eagle
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© Bosch & Parés
© Bosch & Parés
21,187
GPS locations of the female eagle recorded in 227 days (15th December 2022 - 31st July 2023)
68 km2
Measurement of the vital domain of the monitored female eagle
35 km/h
Average speed of the monitored eagles
170 km/h
Maximum speed of the monitored eagles
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© Leo Baquedano / Miranatura
© Leo Baquedano / Miranatura
55 km
Average of km covered by day by each eagle
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1,076
Users identified in the path during 103 days of observation
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© Leo Baquedano / Miranatura
© Leo Baquedano / Miranatura
60% of the frequency in the path was detected during bank holidays, the most frequent slot being 10:00 - 13:00. Users usually go in groups of less than 5 people.
KEY LEARNINGS
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Lessons learned
Remote trail monitoring with cameras: the unavailability of Object Analytics software and Network Attached Storage (NAS) has hindered the full potential development of the architecture. These are two investments that should take priority to effectively integrate remote trail monitoring and securely store data.
Insolation conditions of GPS solar panels: in this territory, where the breeding ravine faces northwest, transmitters may have low battery charge. The dual solar panel transmitter placed on the female maintained maximum battery charge, while the single-panel model placed on the male during low insolation months operated with a medium battery, preventing more frequent location programming.
Threats outside the park: a better understanding of threats, essential for a more accurate estimation of its vital domain under optimal reproductive conditions. This information will influence territorial planning guidelines and safety conditions for high-voltage towers.
Nest camera: the location of the 100-meter panoramic nest camera has been found insufficient for closely monitoring nest behaviour, feeding, and reproduction. To interpret behaviour effectively, the nest camera should allow for the identification of banded individuals, the ages and states of chicks, and the identification of prey caught, among other factors. The need to acquire a new camera and install it near the nest was agreed upon.
Non-compliance with public use regulations: some motorized users violate the trail access regulations during the reproductive period. However, no trail departures have been detected. Persuasive communication messages could be deployed.
Integration of systems for continuity over time: the solution has been developed from an experimental perspective. How to integrate data collection and alert systems with the park's different management processes, as well as the technical and resource capabilities to implement effective and efficient monitoring solutions in the long term, are necessary if the solution is to be implemented to better understand costs and benefits, as well as for scalability and replicability.
STORYTIME
For decades, a significant group of scientists, technicians, forest rangers, and rural agents have been monitoring the life cycle of a pair of Bonelli's eagles nesting in the Natural Park of Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac, (Catalonia, Spain) belonging to the network of Natural Parks of the Diputació de Barcelona (Barcelona provincial council). The aim was to understand various aspects of their life, such as their behaviour, the areas in which they hunt and nest, their reproductive success, the state of the habitats they frequent, and their prey. As a result of this research, actions have been taken to improve their habitat and adapt power lines to reduce the risk of electrocution and collisions.
In my role as a biodiversity conservation technician in the Natural Park for the past five years, I have greatly appreciated the solution implemented in collaboration with the international initiative Tech4Nature. This solution represents a significant step towards the goal of ensuring the conservation of this pair of raptors by regulating public use in both critical areas and periods for these protected species.
The current initiative provides us with the opportunity to address an outstanding challenge in the management of the Park, namely: obtaining accurate information on the annual distribution of these birds of prey, the human activities that take place in their nesting area (such as hiking, mountain biking, forest management and infrastructure maintenance), and the tolerance of the pair towards these activities according to their intensity, proximity and time of year.
The results of this monitoring will allow us to establish regulations based on the specific knowledge of this pair of Bonelli's eagles, complementing the broader studies carried out on this species in the Mediterranean basin and following the precautionary principle, which is crucial in the conservation of biodiversity.
To date, this project has achieved several key objectives:
1. Recognize and highlight the efforts of various professionals dedicated to biodiversity research and management.
2. Raise awareness among all stakeholders, such as local authorities, environmental organisations, and residents of the municipalities within the Park, through communication campaigns carried out by Tech4Nature and the Barcelona Provincial Council's Parks Network.
3. Underline the importance of public-private partnerships to ensure biodiversity conservation.
4. Raise awareness of the risk of electrocution caused by poorly designed power lines.
5. Emphasise the importance of systemic management of the natural environment, both inside and outside protected areas.
From a professional point of view, this initiative has allowed me to become familiar with monitoring technologies, such as images and GPS, and to learn how to use various computer applications to:
Visualize the presence of eagles in the nest and understand their behaviour.
Monitor the immediate surroundings of the nest and broader areas.
Track the individual movements of these birds within their territory.
One example worth sharing is that I have discovered that these eagles have well-defined routines, spending most of their time together and that in the mornings, before egg-laying, they usually fly from the roost to gather at the nest or to watch out the locations where they are waiting for their prey, such as partridges, rabbits and pigeons, as well as to defend their territory from other nearby pairs.
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The Bonelli's Eagle
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