Golden eagle Aquila Chrysaetos (Linnaeus, 1758) in western and southwestern Serbia: Population size, breeding ecology and threats

Abstract

This article presents the long-term study results on the golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos (Linnaeus, 1758) breeding population in the hilly and mountainous landscapes of western and southwestern Serbia, which were obtained during 11 consecutive re-productive seasons (2011-2021). Primarily, the study examines parameters such as population size, density, nesting ecology, and threats. Data on the mentioned parameters were collected during extensive fieldwork and analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. The summarised results bring valuable insights into hypotheses and questions concerning the golden eagle breeding ecology in western and southwestern Serbia. In addition, the presented research provides a solid starting point for further studies of the monitored population and the possibility of expanding monitoring to the neighbouring areas of the central Balkans.