Couple of monitored Eastern imperial eagles rearing chicklets
Ornithologist Rinur Bekmansurov continues his monitoring project launched in March 2021.
鈥淟ike last year, the live stream is broadcast from the same nest. The birds had laid three eggs, and all three hatched in late May,鈥� says the scientist, Head of the Laboratory of Bird Monitoring and Protection at KFU鈥檚 Yelabuga Institute.
However, because of inclement weather, including two days of heavy showers in June, the weakest of the hatchlings died. Luckily, the two remaining little eagles are well fed and healthy, so there is no doubt they will survive.
The stream seems to become more and more popular, attracting hundreds of every day.
Bekmansurov notes, 鈥淲e have a diary of activities 鈥� we follow when the parents fly away and get back, how many meals they bring, and when the feeding occurs.鈥� He plans to install cameras in other nests; this year, there have been two attempts, but to no avail yet. One nest is still empty, and the other is out of the network coverage zone.
鈥淏efore that, we knew quite little about the eagles鈥� nest life,鈥� comments the interviewee. 鈥淪uch observations show their lives in their entirety. We can see that sometimes eagles even resemble people in their behavior. It鈥檚 very important for conservation 鈥� we want people to feel attachment to the birds and care for them. There can be conflicts between these predators and humans, but it鈥檚 important not to hurt them.鈥�
The project is funded by Tatneft, a local petroleum powerhouse, and utilizes equipment of the Lower Kama National Park in Tatarstan.