84 nesting places of red-listed white-tailed eagle discovered in Dagestan

For the first time scientists managed to give such an exact and reliable assessment of breeding population of this rare and protected species of birds in Dagestan. In March 2023б the experts made an inventory of all nests and breeding grounds of the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) in the protected areas supervised by the state-owned "Dagestan State Nature Reserve" and the adjacent areas of the western coast of the Caspian Sea.

In total 84 nesting places of the white-tailed eagle were found and registered in the database, including 48 inhabited nests where birds started breeding this year; 17 nesting pairs were registered in specially protected natural territories.
8 inhabited nests were found in Kizlyar Bay section of Dagestan Reserve and in Agrakhansky Reserve, 1 pair nests in Samur Delta cluster of Samursky National Park.

"In the near future, scientific staff of the reserve plans to carry out similar work on the solar eagle and some other bird species included in the Red Book of Russia and the regional Red Book of the Republic of Dagestan. besides, we have identified areas where it would be expedient to install artificial nesting platforms for eagles" - Kurban Kuniev, director of Dagestan reserve says.

The work was carried out within the framework of the project "Study and protection of the white-tailed eagle and the vulture in the Republic of Dagestan" implemented by Caucasus Research Center together with Dagestan Biosphere Reserve.