First GPS broadcaster for young eagles Zirki25 in the Hohe Tauern National Park!

First GPS broadcaster for young eagles Zirki25 in the Hohe Tauern National Park!

In the Carinthian Zirknitztal, a 50-day female stone eagle has received the "Zirki25" nickname and was equipped with a GPS station. This significant campaign took place as part of an international research project on Steinadler, carried out by the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Biology and the Konrad Lorenz Research Center at the University of Vienna. The broadcast was directed by the eagle researcher Petra Sumasgutner and is the first time that a stone eagle in the Carinthian part of the Hohe Tauern National Park was broadcast.

The data collected by the GPS transmitter serve to research train behavior, spatial behavior and survival strategies of the stone eagles. As part of the transmission, Zirki25 was not only equipped with the transmitter, but also mounted, measured and genetic samples were removed. The transmitter was attached so that it guarantees maximum scope for movement, similar to a sports climbing belt. These measures are crucial to gain valuable information about the flights and life behavior of the young bird.

research and nature conservation

The data collected will deliver first insights in about 20 days, since Zirki25 is expected to leave the nest in three weeks. The research project aims to collect information about the hiking movements and the stone eagles's martial movements. National Park ranger Gerald Lesacher was positive about the importance of the event. He described the broadcast as a "very special moment" and emphasized the importance of understanding the habitat and the behavior of this protected manner.

According to the national park director Barbara Pucker, it is a significant milestone for species protection in the Hohe Tauern National Park. Steinadler have an important ecological role and their research is crucial for the preservation of the species. The young eagles usually leave the parent area at the earliest in autumn or next spring and then hike through the Alpine region for several years before they are looking for their own territory at the age of four or five years.

The knowledge from this research project will not only contribute to the preservation of the species, but also offer important data about the movements and the habitat of the stone eagle in Austria. These efforts are part of a comprehensive strategy for protecting and preserving biodiversity in the region.

For more information about the project and the importance of the broadcast of Zirki25, visit the reporting of dolomitenstadt , Kleine Zeitung and ORF Carinthia .