Vol. 75 (4) 2023

ARTICLES

Assessment of Natural and Anthropogenic Limiting Factors to the Nesting Population of White-tailed Sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla (Linnaeus, 1758) (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae) in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and its surroundings, Romania

Vasile Alexe1, Lucian-Eugen Bolboacă2*, Mihai Marinov1, Alexandru-Cătălin Doroșencu1, Marian Mierlă3, Janos Botond Kiss1, Marta Peraita1 & Dumitru Murariu4

More info

1Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, Danube Delta National Institute
for Research and Development, Tulcea, Romania; E-mail: vasile.alexe@ddni.ro, mihai.marinov@ddni.ro,
alexandru.dorosencu@ddni.ro, marta.peraita@ddni.ro
*2Centre for the Study of Transborder and Emergent Diseases and Zoonoses, Danube Delta National Institute for Research
and Development, Tulcea, Romania; E-mail: lucian.bolboaca@ddni.ro
3Department of Informational System and Geomatics, Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development, Tulcea, Romania; E-mail: marian.mierla@ddni.ro
4Department of Ecology, Taxonomy and Environment Protection, Institute for Biology, Romanian Academy of Sciences,
Bucharest, Romania; E-mail address: dmurariu@antipa.ro

https://doi.org/10.71424/azb75.4.002666

PDF

Abstract
The factors that negatively influence the state of the populations of the white-tailed sea-eagle in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and in the surrounding areas are both natural and anthropogenic. Between 2009 and 2018, an intensive study of those limiting factors was conducted. During those ten years, we registered 166 nests in the area, out of which 73 had been destroyed or deserted. The reasons were natural factors related to inclement weather in 73.97 % of the cases and anthropogenic factors in the remaining 26.03 %. Six limiting anthropogenic factors were identified: disturbance caused by fishermen and tourists (16.44 %), forestry works (4.11 %), illegal cutting of the tree supporting the nest (1.37 %), construction of a fishing hut near the nest (1.37 %), fires (1.37 %) and agricultural works and human presence (1.37 %). We present also the results of a spatial analysis aimed at disentangling how human settlements affect the distribution of the nests and how unpredictable settings of different kinds of temporary settlements can affect the viability of the nests. Different conservation actions are discussed with the objective of reducing the negative impact of the anthropogenic factors detected.

Key words
White-tailed sea-eagle, conservation actions, anthropic impact, nesting population, bird disturbance

How to Cite
Alexe V., Bolboacă L.-E,, Marinov M., Doroșencu A.-C., Mierlă M., Kiss J.B., Peraita M. & Murariu D. 2023. Assessment of Natural and Anthropogenic Limiting Factors to the Nesting Population of White-tailed Sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla (Linnaeus, 1758) (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae) in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and its surroundings, Romania. Acta zoologica bulgarica 75 (4) 541-548.

References

  1. Act 2006. Legea nr. 407/2006, Legea vânătorii şi a protecţiei fondului cinegetic. Monitorul Oficial al României. Nr. 944/22.11.2006.
  2. Act 2007. Ordonanţă de Urgenţă nr. 57 din 20 iunie 2007 privind regimul ariilor naturale protejate, conservarea habitatelor naturale, a florei şi faunei sălbatice.
  3. Alexe V. 2022. Biologia și Ecologia codalbului (Haliaeetus albicilla L.) prezent la gurile Dunării (România), 174. Editura Academiei Române. București, România. ISBN 978-606-27-3679-8, 174 p.
  4. Alexe V., Dorosencu A., Marinov M., Kiss J. B., Sandor D. A. et al. 2018. Research regarding the success of White-tailed eagle nesting (Aves: Haliaeetus albicilla Linnaeus, 1758) between 2009 and 2017 within the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and its surroundings (Romania). Muzeul Olteniei Craiova. Oltenia. Studii si comunicari. Stiintele Naturii 34 (1): 171–177.
  5. Alexe V., Dorosencu C.A., Marinov M., Kiss J. B., Sandor D. A. et al. 2019. New data regarding the spatial distribution of white-tailed eagle (Aves: Haliaeetus albicilla) and their breeding ecology between 2009 and 2018 within the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and its surroundings (Romania). Scientific Annals of the Danube Delta Institute 24: 5-14. doi:10.7427/DDI.24.01
  6. Berne Convention 1993. Lege privind aderarea României la Convenţia privind conservarea vieţii sălbatice şi a habitatelor naturale, adoptată la Berna la 19 septembrie 1979. Monitorul Oficial al României. Partea I. Nr. 62/11.03.1993.
  7. Bibby C., Jones M., Marsden S. & Munteanu D. 2000. Methods for the estimation of bird abundance. 1st ed. Cluj, Romania: Publicatiile Societatii Ornitologice Romane, pp. 12–122 (in Romanian).
  8. BirdLife International 2004. Birds in Europe: population estimates, trends and conservation status. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife Conservation Series 12, pp. 72–374.
  9. BirdLife International 2023. Species factsheet: Haliaeetus albicilla. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 02/02/2023
  10. BirdLife International/European Bird Census Council 2000. European bird populations: estimates and trends. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International (BirdLife Conservation Series No. 10), p. 31 (in Romanian).
  11. Bodea M., Catuneanu I., Comisa A.M., Creteanu A., Manciur E. et al. 1957. About life in Danube Delta. Bucharest, Romania: Asociatia Generala a Vanatorilor si Pescarilor Sportivi din Republica Populara Romana, pp. 178–179 (in Romanian).
  12. Bonn Convention 1998. Lege privind aderarea României la Convenţia privind conservarea speciilor migratoare de animale sălbatice, adoptată la Bonn la 23 iunie 1979. Monitorul Oficial al României. Partea I. Nr. 24/26.01.1998
  13. Catuneanu I. 1973. Birds of prey from Nord Dobruja and their current situation. In: Simion G., Popescu M., Jecu A. & Marianov M. (Ed.): Peuce III Studii si Comunicari de Stiintele Naturii. 1st ed. Tulcea, Romania: Muzeul Deltei Dunarii, pp. 419–452 (in Romanian).
  14. Ciochia V. 1992. Hatching birds from Romania. 1st ed. Bucharest, Romania: Editura Stiintifica (in Romanian).
  15. Ciochia V. 2001. Danube Aves. Danube birds from its spring (Donaueschingen) to its mouth (Black Sea). 1st ed. Brasov, Romania: Editura Pelecanus (in Romanian).
  16. CITES 1973. Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora. CITES / Washington Convention (http://www.cites.org).
  17. Cramp S. 1980. Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. II. Hawks to Bustards. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, pp. 48–58.
  18. Daroczi J.S. & Zeitz R. 2001. Guide for the protection of diurnal birds of prey in Romania. Methods, recommendations and suggestions, complete list of species. 1st ed. Targu Mures, Romania: Grupul Milvus – Societatea Ornitologica Romana, pp. 33–34 (In Romanian).
  19. Dombrowski R.R. 1912. Ornis Romaniae. The bird world of Romania. Systematically and biologically-geographically described. Bucharest, Romania: Buletinul Societatii Stiintifice 19, pp. 1395–1401 (In German).
  20. Dragomir N. I. & Almasan H. 1973. Livestock dynamics in the main species of waterfowl of great faunal and hunting importance in the Danube Delta in the decade 1961–1970. In: Simion G. et al. (Eds): Peuce III Studii si Comunicari de Stiintele Naturii. 1st ed. Tulcea, Romania: Muzeul Deltei Dunarii, pp. 519–538 (In Romanian).
  21. Dragomir N. I. & Kiss J. B. 1972. Problems of hunting research in the Danube Delta. In: Simpozionul “Noi orientari in cercetarea cinegetica”. Bucharest, Romania: Academia R.S.R., Academia de Stiinte Agricole si Silvice, pp. 58–73 (In Romanian).
  22. Glutz von Blotzheim U. N., Bauer K. M. & Bezzel E. 1971. Handbook of the birds of Central Europe. Band 4. Falconiformes. Frankfurt, Germany: Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft, pp. 169–203 (In German).
  23. Grimmett R. F. A. & Jones T. A. (Ed.) 1989. Important Bird Areas in Europe. Cambridge, UK: International Council for Bird Preservation (Technical Publication 9), pp. 567–580.
  24. Hagemeijer W. J. M. & Blair M. J. 1997. The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds: their Distribution and Abundance. London, UK: T & A. D. Poyser, pp. 136–137.
  25. Helander B. & Stjernberg T. 2002. Action Plan for the conservation of White-tailed Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla). BirdLife International, 43 pp.
  26. Helander B., Olsson A., Bignert A., Asplund L. & Litzén K. 2002. The Role of DDE, PCB, Coplanar PCB and Eggshell Parameters for Reproduction in the White-tailed Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) in Sweden. Report. Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Ambio 31 (5): 386–403.
  27. Iwata H., Watanabe M., Kim E. Y., Gotoh R., Yasunaga G., Tanabe S., Masuda Y. & Fujita S. 2000. Contamination by chlorinated hydrocarbons and lead in Steller’s Sea Eagle and White-tailed Sea Eagle from Hokkaido, Japan. First Symposium on Steller’s and White-tailed Sea Eagles in East Asia, pp. 91–106.
  28. Kannan K., Kumar K. S., Falandysz J., Oehme G. & Masunaga S. 2002. Polychlorinated biphenyls, dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans and DDE in White-tailed Sea Eagle livers from Eastern Germany, 1979–1998. Ecotoxicology – Organohalogen Compounds 57: 455–458.
  29. Keller V., Herrando S., Voříšek P., Franch M., Kipson M., Milanesi P., Martí D., Anton M., Klvaňová A., Kalyakin M. V., Bauer H.-G. & Foppen R. P. B. 2020. European Breeding Bird Atlas 2: Distribution, Abundance and Change. European Bird Census Council & Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, pp. 472–473.
  30. Kenntner N., Krone O., Oehme G., Heidecke D. & Tataruch F. 2003. Organochlorine contaminants in body tissue of free-ranging White-tailed Eagles from northern regions of Germany. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 22 (7): 1457–1464.
  31. Kiss J. B. 1982. Some rarer bird species observed during the summer of 1978. Delta Dunarii 2: 99–108 (In Romanian, with English summary).
  32. Kiss J. B. 1985. Several rare bird species observed in northern Dobrogea between 1980 and 1982. Delta Dunarii 1: 103–108 (In Romanian).
  33. Kiss J. B., Alexe V., Doroşencu A., Marinov M. & Sandor A. 2013. Current situation and nesting site preferences of White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) in Danube Delta (Romania). Revista de Silvicultura si Cinegetica 32: 139–143 (In Romanian, with English summary).
  34. Kiss J. B., Sandor D. A., Alexe V., Dorosencu A. & Marinov M. 2014. Data on the current situation of the White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla (L.) within Danube Delta – Romania and contributions to the knowledge of its diet during reproduction. Revista Padurilor 129 (1): 58–67 (In Romanian, with English summary).
  35. Klemm W. 1973. Situation of the white-tailed sea-eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) and the saker falcon (Falco cherrug) in the spring of 1971 for the Danube Delta. In: Simion G., Popescu M., Jecu A. & Marianov M. (Ed.): Peuce III Studii si Comunicari de Stiintele Naturii. 1st ed. Tulcea, Romania: Muzeul Deltei Dunarii, pp. 625–631 (In Romanian).
  36. Kornis K. 1936. Masuri de protectie pentru avifauna Deltei. Carpatii 4 (10): 272.
  37. Lintia D. 1954. Haliaetus albicilia (L.). In: Linția D. 1954. Pasarile din R.P.R., Vol II. 1st ed. Bucharest, Romania: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romane, pp. 268–274 (In Romanian).
  38. Marinov M. & Kiss J. B. 1991. Nesting of White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) and Saker (Falco cherrug danubialis kleinschm.) in the Danube Delta between 1980–1990. In: A Magyar Madartani es Termeszetvedelmi Egyesulet III. Tudomanyos Ulese. Szombathely, Hungary, pp. 302–320 (In Hungarian, with English summary).
  39. Munteanu D. 1998. The status of birds in Romania. Cluj-Napoca, Romania: Romanian Ornithological Society, p. 64.
  40. Munteanu D. 2002. Atlas of Romanian breeding birds. 2nd ed. Cluj-Napoca, Romania: Publicatiile Societatii Ornitologice Romane 16, p. 32 (In Romanian).
  41. Munteanu D. 2005. Aves (Birds). In: Botnariuc N. & Tatole V. (Ed.): Cartea Rosie a Vertebratelor din Romania. 1st ed. Bucharest, Romania: Muzeul National de Istorie Naturala “Grigore Antipa”, p. 110 (In Romanian).
  42. Munteanu D. 2009. Rare, vulnerable and endangered birds in Romania. Cluj, Romania: Alma Mater, pp. 75–76 (In Romanian).
  43. Munteanu I. 1996. Soils of the Romanian Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. Lelystad, Netherlands: RIZA.
  44. Otel V., Ciocarlan V., Fedorchenko A., Kiss J. B., Murariu D. et al. 2000. The Red List of plant and animal species from the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Romania. 1st ed. Odorheiu Secuiesc, Romania: Fundația AVES.
  45. Probst R. & Gáborik A. 2012. Action plan for the conservation of the White-tailed Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) along the Danube. Nature and Environment No. 163: 5–57.
  46. Puscariu V. 1968. Observation on the distribution and ecology of Haliaeetus albicilla in the Danube Delta. Travaux du Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa” 8: 959–968 (In French).
  47. Radu D. 1973. The population of birds of the Danube Delta. In: Simion G., Popescu M., Jecu A. & Marianov M. (Ed.): Peuce III Studii si Comunicari de Stiintele Naturii. 1st ed. Tulcea, Romania: Muzeul Deltei Dunarii, pp. 507–518 (in Romanian).
  48. Rosetti-Balanescu C. 1957. The hunter’s birds. Colectia Vinatorului si Pescarului Sportiv. Bucharest, Romania: A.G.V.P.S. (in Romanian).
  49. Ruddock M. & Whitfield D. P. 2007. A review of disturbance distances in selected bird species. A report from Natural Research (Projects) Ltd to Scottish Natural Heritage 181: 114–125.
  50. Sandor A. D., Alexe V., Marinov M., Dorosencu A., Domsa C. et al. 2015. Nest-site selection, breeding success, and diet of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) in the Danube Delta, Romania. Turkish Journal of Zoology 39: 300–307. doi:10.3906/zoo-1401-64
  51. Schnell C. 1936. Hunting guide for the Danube Delta. Carpatii 4, no. 10, pp. 89–96 (in Romanian).
  52. Stanescu D., Weber P., Beres J. & Mihaileanu A.L. 1985. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of bird populations in the Letea forest-Danube Delta. Studii si comunicari de ecologie 1: 89–102 (in Romanian).
  53. Steinbacher I. 1977. Animal life in Danube Delta. Vogel. Natur und Wolk 37 (6): 177 (in German).
  54. Talpeanu M. 1967. The Falconiformes from Romania (II). Travaux du Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa”, 7: 397-407 (in French).
  55. Todorov E., Daskalova G. & Shurulinkov P. 2015. Current breeding distribution and conservation of white-tailed eagle, Haliaeetus albicilla (L.) in Bulgaria. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 67 (1): 3–10.
  56. Ulvoczki C. 2006. Natural grasslands and animal farming. In: Gastescu P. & Stiuca R. (Ed.). 1st ed. Constanta, Romania: Editura Dobrogea, pp. 380–383 (in Romanian).
  57. Wallgren H. 2003. Nest visibility – no trend over 27 years despite changed behaviour of the eagles. Sea Eagle 2000. Proceedings from the International Sea Eagle Conference, pp. 371–375.