Number of endangered white-tailed eagles in Saxony continues to rise

In Saxony, the number of the endangered white-tailed eagle population has been increasing for years. In Upper Lusatia alone, the population of the large bird species currently stands at 27 pairs, according to a spokesperson for the Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. According to the Ministry of the Environment, around 90 breeding pairs were known throughout Saxony in 2022. Five years earlier, there were 86 pairs.

"Almost 90 percent of the Saxon population is located in eastern Saxony, with a spatial focus on Upper Lusatia," explained a ministry spokesperson. This area is home to the Unesco biosphere reserve Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape, which covers more than 30,000 hectares and offers the eagles ideal living conditions. According to the ministry, the sea eagles occur there in a density of up to ten breeding pairs per 100 kilometers.

Population growth in Saxony almost exhausted

Further growth of the population in the reserve is not to be expected, however, explained Dirk Weis, from species and biotope protection in the biosphere reserve. The animals need a certain spatial distance from each other and with the number of birds, the area is already almost at capacity.

Sea eagles prefer quiet forest areas without much tourism and direct access to lakes and rivers. However, the Saxon Ministry of the Environment explains that disturbances near breeding grounds due to forestry work or certain leisure activities in the forest are common. For this reason, there is a management system for eyrie protection throughout Germany, consisting of temporary nest protection zones and close cooperation with forest owners.

Lake eagles good for the ecosystem

Lake eagles contribute to the health of water bodies and the ecosystems they inhabit through their diet. They feed not only on small birds, fish and other mammals, but also on carrion. "There have been no known cases of conflict in fish stocks in Saxony to date that can be attributed to the sea eagle's diet," explained a spokesperson for the Saxon Ministry of the Environment.