Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina

DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE

Compact breeding grounds of the Lesser Spotted Eagle in Poland currently encompass the north-eastern section of the country, east of the Vistula River, the eastern part (Nizina Północnopodlaska, Polesie, Roztocze), as well as the West Carpathians, and Pogórze Karpackie (Carpathian Foothills) in the region of Beskid Niski Mts, West Bieszczady Mts, Góry Sanocko-Turczańskich Mts and Pogórze Przemyskie. Besides, the species inhabits a separated breeding ground in north-western Poland, with the distribution range border running from Pojezierze Myśliborskie, through Pojezierze Drawskie north to the seashore, and scattered sites in Pomorze Środkowe. Few breeding localities are also known in Nizina Mazowiecka, Śląsk, Ziemia Lubuska and Wielkopolska.

Table 1. Estimated numbers and distribution of the Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina in Poland at the end of the 90s.

Region	Estimated number of pairs
Pomorze Zachodnie	150-200
Pomorze Środkowe	50
Polska NE	550-650
Nizina Północnopodlaska	256-260
Wielkopolska i Ziemia Lubuska	5-15
Śląsk	5-10
Polska SE	430-460
Lubelszczyzna	200
Centralna Polska	40
Total	1700-1900

The first assessments of the numbers of the Polish Lesser Spotted Eagle population were attempted as recently as the 60s: Sokołowski estimated the species abundance at 80-100 pairs, Tomiałojć at 150-300 pairs, both authors having found the population fairly stable.

In the first half of the 80s the species numbers were assessed at 500-700 pairs, the population acknowledged as stable. It is interesting that all authors, when evaluating the Lesser Spotted Eagle population, maintained that it was stable, in spite of stating higher and higher numbers. This, however, stemmed from better knowledge of the situation of the species rather than the abundance actually increasing. In Poland, there is no clear evidence of the species extending its range.

MONITORING

In 2001, the controls covered 689 nests; at 17 (2.5%) of them the regulations of zone protection were found broken. The controls of 2002 to 869 nests revealed violation of the pertinent law at 50 (5.8%) of them.

Table 2. Results of controls to the Lesser Spotted Eagle breeding sites in Poland in 1999 and 2002. (1) - total number of controlled sites, (2) - total number of controlled nests, (3) - number of sites where birds were recorded, (4) - number of nests at which zone protection regulations were found violated, (5) - number of nests newly found in the territories known from previous years, (6) - number of newly found territories with a nest, (7) - number of newly found territories without a nest

Region	Controlled sites (1) 2001 2002	Controlled nests (2) 2001 2002	Sites with birds (3) 2001 2002	Regulations violated (4) 2001 2002	New nests in territory (5) 2001 2002	New territory with nest (6) 2001 2002	New territory without nest (7) 2001 2002
Pomorze Środk.	5 11	7 9	5 6	- -	- -	1 -	- -
Pomorze Zach.	35 78	39 76	18 45	- 1	- 9	4 8	- -
Śląsk	6 9	6 9	6 6	- -	- 1	3 1	- -
Małopolska	111 164	137 181	104 149	4 10	15 16	5 5	- 8
Lubelszczyzna	146 142	225 205	138 133	- 8	45 40	9 2	1 1
Polska Centralna	55 44	36 38	25 30	1 1	1 -	3 -	1 -
Polska NE	138 302	273 414	129 252	8 24	21 59	11 18	1 9
Wielkopolska	5 7	3 3	4 3	- -	- -	1 1	1 -
Nizina Północnopodlaska	117 122	137 122	97 95	4 6	25 24	3 4	- -
Razem	618 879	863 1057	526 719	17 50	107 149	40 39	4 18

REPRODUCTIVE PARAMETERS

A good condition of the Polish population of the Lesser Spotted Eagle is reflected in its reproductive parameters. The species nesting success in Poland in 1993-2001 amounted to an average of 67% (N = 2858)." .

The results of broods of the Lesser Spotted Eagle in 1999, 2000 and 2001 are as follows:

In 1999 there were five cases of 2 young birds in a nests, which constitutes 1.8% of broods. In 2000 siblings were recorded 6 times (1.6 %), whereas in 2001 only once
(0.4 %).

STUDY PLOTS

One of the components of the KOO project was monitoring of the Lesser Spotted Eagle on chosen, jointly 10, study plots (table 3). The aim of this activity was to discover at the best all Lesser Spotted Eagle territories, which would allow to determine the species density. As follows from table 3, the density values are highly diverse, ranging from 4.3 territories/ 100 km2 in the Ciśnieńsko-Wetliński Landscape Park to 15 pairs/ 100 km2 in the Magurski National Park.

Table 3. Numbers of the Lesser Spotted Eagle on chosen study plots in Poland in 1999 and 2000

Plot name (1)	Plot size [km2]	Number of pairs (3) 1999 2000	Density [pairs/100 km2] (4) 1999 2000
Małopolska
Magurski PN	200	30 28-30	15,0 14,0-15,0
Jaśliński PK	210	20 17-18	9,5 8,1-8,6
Góry Hańczowskie	254	34 20-23	13,4 7,9-9,1
Bukowica	252	20 17-20	7,9 6,7-7,9
Magura Małastowska	184	14 16	7,6 8,7
Polska NE
Puszcza Piska	355	16-18 17-20	4,5-5,1 4,8-5,6
Puszcza Borecka	220	- 14-18	- 6,7-8,2
Pojezierze Iławskie	450	22-23 22-23	4,9-5,1 4,9-5,1
Warmia (okol. Ornety)	412	29-31 27-33	7,0-7,5 6,5-8,0
Bagna Biebrzańskie	600	35 26-33	5,8 4,3-5,5
Młynary	490	5-8 -	1,0-1,6 -