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THE GOLDEN EAGLE &Lpar;<I>AQUILA CHRYSAETOS</I

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THE GOLDEN EAGLE &Lpar;<I>AQUILA CHRYSAETOS</I j RaptorRes. 33(2):102-109 ¸ 1999 The Raptor ResearchFoundation, Inc. THE GOLDENEAGLE (AQUILA CHRYSAETOS) IN THE BALl MOUNTAINS, ETHIOPIA MICHEL CLOUET 16 Avenue des Charmettes,31500 Toulouse,France CLAUDE BAm•u 58 Chemin des C6tes de Pech David, 31400 Toulouse,France JEAN-LouIsGOAR 11330 VillerougeTermeries, France ABSRACT.--Westudied Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos)in the afro-alpinearea (elevation3500-4000 m) of the Ball Mountains in Ethiopia. We monitored seventerritories from 1-5 successiveyears for a total of 26 territory-years.Home rangesvaried from only 1.5-9 km2, the smallestsize recorded for the species.This wasprobably due to the abundanceof prey, mainly haresand grassrats, that made up 50% and 30% of prey, respectively.Despite this, productivityof these Golden Eagleswas quite low averagingonly 0.28 youngper occupiedterritory (N = 25). This wasdue to a large number of unmated territorial adultsand poor breedingperformance by pairs (0.4 youngper pair per year,N = 17). The high densityand frequent interspecificinteractions with Verreaux'sEagles (Aquila ver•eauxii)were key factorsaffecting the dynamicsof this Golden Eagle population.The unusualcoexistence of thesetwo closelyrelated specieswas a novel componentof the rich predator guild in the area that includedfive other winteringor residenteagle species. This richnesswas related to the high densityof rodentsand lagomorphs,a characteristicof the Ethiopian afro-alpineecosystem. K•Y WOP,DS: GoldenEagle;, Aquila chrysaetos;Ver•eaux's Eagle;, afro-alpine habitats; Ethiopia; p• altondance, interspecificcompetition; p•vductivity. El aguila dorada (Aquila chrysaetos)en las montanasBall de Etiopia Po!sUmEN.--Estudiamosel •tguila dorada (Aquila chrysaetos)en el grea afro-alpina(elevacion 3500-4000 m) de las montafiasBall en Etiopia. Monitoreamossiete territorios de 1-5 arioscontinuos para un total de 26 territorios/afio.Los rangosde hogar variaronentre 1.5-9 km2. Los mas pequefiosreportados para la especie.Esto probablementedebido a la abundanciade presas,principalmente liebres y ratas de pastizales,las cualesrepresentan el 50% y el 30% de las presasrespectivamente. A pesarde estola productividadde las gguilasfue muy baja con un promediode 0.28juveniles por territorio ocupado(N = 25). Esto se debi6 al gran n6mero de adultosterritoriales sin parejay al pobre desempefioreprod- uctivo de las parejas (0.4 juvenilespor pareja por afio, N = 17). La alta densidady las frecuentes interaccionesintraespecificas con las •guilas Verreaux (Aquila verreauxii)fueron factoresque afectaron la dingmicade estapoblaci6n de gguilasdoradas. La inusualcoexistencia de estasdos especiesestre- chamente relacionadases un componente novedosode la estructurade depredadoresen el grea que incluyeotras cinco especies migratorias o residentesde gguilas.Esta riqueza estuvo relacionada con la alta densidadde roedoresy lagomorfos,una caracteristicadel ecosistemaafro-alpino Etiope. [Traducci6nde C6sarMJxquez] The recent discoveryof a Golden Eagle (Aquila alpine region which supportsthe largestmountain chrysaetos)population in Ethiopia (Clouet and Bar- moorland and grasslandhabitat on the continent. rau 1993) has provided a unique opportunity to This rich and unique ecosystem(Dorst and Roux study this speciesin a new biogeographicalarea. 1972, Hillman 1986) supportsan aviancommunity The population occursin the Ba16Mountains lo- dominated by a predator-scavengerguild (Clouet cated in the southern part of the Ethiopian high et al. 1995). The Golden Eagle is part of a unique plateau, eastof the Rift Valley.It occursat the afro- assemblageof eagle speciesand coexistswith the 102 JUNE 1999 GOLDENE^GLE •N ETHIOPIA 103 '-.-:- . -;' " n in Figure 1. Location of the Bal• Mountain study area in Ethiopia. Verreaux's Eagle (Aquila verreauxiO.To our knowl- -.::•'::"' -:;..•.,,.. .... edge, this assemblagethat includes the southern- r-• Valleyfloor • Cliff ,-• Plateau most extent of the Golden Eagle has never before Figure 2. Distributionof Golden and ¾½rrcaux'sEaõl½s been studied. in the 200-km2 studyarea in the Bal• MountainsNational Park, Ethiopia, 1993-97. STUDY AREA AND METHODS The study area was in Bala Mountains National Park in the upper Web River Valley and a portion of its trib- utaries above tree line (3500-4000 m) (Fig. 1). The area not breeding or when it was occupiedby an un- consistsof a continuousnetwork of cliffsstretching from paired bird, we used the arithmetic center of the the north bank of the Web River to the top of the Massif (Sanetti plateau). The afro-alpine habitat has a tropical known unoccupiednests in the territory. The av- climate tempered by the altitude and characterizedby an erage distancebetween centers was 4.7 km (range alternating wet season that lasts from March-October = 2.5-7 km) (Fig. 2). Individual territories were and a dry seasonthat lastsfrom November-February. monitored for 1-5 yr totaling 26 territory-years We searchedfor breedingraptors in a 200 km2 area of (Table 1). Single adultswere observedin three out potential nesting and hunting habitat over the course of sevenexpeditions covering five successivebreeding sea- of the sevenmonitored territories and during 4 of sons: August 1993, May 1994, March-November 1995, the 5 yr of the study (i.e., seven (27%) of the 26 March 1996, and February-August 1997. One to three territory-years).Nonterritorial singlebirds were re- observerswalked transectsthrough Golden Eagle terri- corded only twice (1 adult and 1 immature eagle). tories.Observations were made continuouslyfor periods of 2-11 hr, recording the activitiesof the eaglesand any Topographically, the territories included a sec- interspecificbehavior involving other raptorsspecies. All tion of cliff where perches and nestswere located eagle flights were plotted on a map to calculate their and a part of the neighboringplateau. The slope distances and areas covered. The total observation time located at the foot of the cliff was comprisedof for the seven expeditionswas 210 h. scree,grassland, and bushes,and it provided a va- We estimateddiet by observingkills and collectingprey itemsin nestsduring the fledgingperiod. Diet diversitywas riety of potential prey including hyraxes (Procavia calculatedusing a Shannon Index (Delibes et al. 1975, capensis),hares ( LepusstrarkO, and francolins (Fran- Clouet 1981, Fernfindez1991). Productivity(number of colinusspp.). In the valley bottom, there were also young per occupiedterritory) was calculated by observing coloniesof mole rats (Tachyoryctesmacrocephalus) youngin neststhat were older than 51 d of age (Steenhof 1987) (exceptin one casewhen a nestlingwas only about and grass rats (Arvicanthisspp. and Lophuromys 35-d old) or in flight with adultsduring the postfledging spp.). stage(August 1993, May 1994,and August1997). We observednine successfulkills by Golden Ea- gles.All were made either on low altitude flights RESULTS by eaglesclose to the slopesat the foot of cliffs We identified seventerritories occupied by Gold- (once) or within 200-2000 m of perches (eight en Eagles. We assumedthat territories were cen- times). Golden Eagleswere alsoseen robbing prey tered on the occupied nest or, when the pair was from an Augur Buzzard (Buteoaugur), Pallid Har- 104 CLOUET ET AL. VOL. 33, No. 2 Table 1. Territory occupancyand productivityof Golden Eaglesin the Ba16Mountains National Park, 1993-97. TERRITORY YEAR 1 2 3 4 1993 Single adult Adult pair Single adult -- (6-13 August) 1 young flying 1994 Adult pair Adult pair Single adult (5-17 May) Adult pair 1995 Singleadult 1 young flying Adult pair Singleadult (21 March-5 April) Adult pair 1996 Single adult Adult pair Adult pair Single adult (4-15 March) 1997 Adult pair Adult pair Adult pair Adult pair (3-12 February) 1 5-wk-oldyoung (9-18 August) rier (Circus macrourus), Lanner Falcon (Falco biar- Other breeding raptors were observed in every m•cus),and Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis). Golden Eagle territory we observed,including one Undulating displayflights and attackson intrud- or two pairs of Augur Buzzards,one pair of Lanner ers of other raptor specieswere performed by both Falcons and one pair of Common Kestrels (E tin- paired or unpaired Golden Eagles,both near and nunculus).Frequent mobbing behavior of these <1 km from perches, cliffs and nests.In the case raptors triggered attacks by eagles. We observed of one unpaired territorial adult, undulating Tawny Eagles (A. rapax) which were residents flights accountedfor up to 51% of the total flying throughout the year and Greater Spotted Eagles time (115 min) in November at the beginning of (A. clanga), Lesser Spotted Eagles (A. pomarina), the breeding seasonsuggesting that the function and Steppe Eagles which were either migrating of this flight was to displayits territory. through or spent the winter in the area flying over The mean area of the home ranges, estimated Golden Eagle hunting areas. The latter were very from observationsof hunting foraysand territorial numerous and on several occasionsapproximately flights, such as undulating displaysand attackson 30 were recorded simultaneouslyin flight in Feb- intruders, was 3.6 km2 (range = 1.5-9 km2, N = ruary. Steppe Eagleswere observedattacking Gold- 7). Home rangeswere smallerfor singleadults (1- en Eagles on their prey (3 cases). Golden Eagles 1.5 kma, N = 2) and appeared to be larger where were also seen chasing off intruding Tawny and there was no rodent colony or where scrub (Erica Steppe Eagles (3 cases). spp.) wasextensive (estimated to be about9 kma). The survey area contained seven territories
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