Findings from the Mortality Study on Sea Eagles and Ospreys

A significant article by Lithuanian scientists, titled “Differences in mortality patterns of White-tailed Eagle and Osprey in the eastern region of the Baltic Sea” has been published in the prestigious international Journal of Ornithology. This publication uncovers crucial insights for the conservation of rare birds of prey in the eastern Baltic Sea region. Deivis Dementavičius, Saulius Rumbutis, and Ričardas Patapavičius, specialists from the Kaunas Tadas Ivanauskas Zoological Museum, also contributed as co-authors to this important work.

Despite the recovery of many raptor populations in Europe in the late 20th century — a result of significant conservation measures after a considerable decline — the study findings reveal that certain regions still pose threats to these species due to intensive human economic activity.

The study revealed several key insights:

• Human activity was the main cause of death for most White-tailed Eagles and Ospreys, with electrocution standing out as the primary factor. Interestingly, Ospreys were even more susceptible to electrocution than White-tailed Eagles.
• Despite both species relying on water-rich habitats, their unique behavioral and lifestyle traits led to different mortality trends. Young, less experienced White-tailed Eagles accounted for a larger proportion of their species’ deaths, while for Ospreys, it was more often the adult birds that perished.
• Mortality events for White-tailed Eagles showed a spatial clustering in certain prominent areas, acting as “hotspots.” In contrast, Osprey deaths were observed to be randomly dispersed throughout the study region.

You can find the full article, “Differences in mortality patterns of White-tailed Eagle and Osprey in the eastern region of the Baltic Sea,” in the Journal of Ornithology.