As a result of several years of work, the monumental volume The Golden Eagle Around the World was published in 2024, edited by D.H. Ellis, J. Bautista, and C.H. Ellis. This book is dedicated to the research and conservation of the Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and brings together studies on the species. Richly illustrated and spanning over 920 pages, this comprehensive work compiles the latest research findings of 175 authors on this impressive bird of prey.
One of the detailed chapters of the volume presents the status of the golden eagle in Romania, written by current and former members of the Milvus Group – István Kovács, Zsolt Hegyeli, Réka-Beáta Kis, and István Komáromi – along with Lucian Macaveiu from CETM Albamont. The findings and conclusions presented in the chapter are primarily based on data from the golden eagle breeding population monitoring program, coordinated by the Milvus Group for 25 years, supplemented by additional information from various sources.
The 20-page chapter provides new insights into the density and dynamics of Romania’s Golden eagle population, breeding biology, and the age distribution of nesting birds. It also includes a detailed analysis of the species’ nesting habits, comparing two intensively studied populations: one that nests on cliffs in the Apuseni Mountains and another that nests in trees in the western part of the Eastern Carpathians, supplemented with data from the southwestern Carpathians. Additionally, the study presents available information on the species’ diet, habitat use, movement patterns, and risk factors affecting the population.
This research is the result of over 600 days spent in the field, carried out not only by the chapter’s authors but also by 11 dedicated volunteers. We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to them, as the results of this program would have been significantly more modest without their contributions. We are also extremely grateful to our main sponsor, Sándor Kovács, who has provided the necessary financial support for field research year after year.
