LINE DESCRIPTION

The main reason for this line of financing within PROJECT PENNATUS 2019-2022, is

the equipment with GPS/GSM emitters of four (4) chicks and two (2) adults of booted

eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus), in the municipalities of Herrera de Duero, Tudela de

Duero, La Cistérniga, La Parrilla and Aldeamayor de San Martín (southeast province of

Valladolid), having the necessary administrative permits from the General Directorate

of the Environment of the Department of Development and Environment of Castilla y

León.

In this project I participated in the capture and equipping of a light morpho male from

the town of Madrigal de las Altas Torres (Ávila) with a satellite transmitter, as well as a

breeding pair with a data logger system. This male was equipped with the solar GPS

satellite transmitter on 02/07/2011, with equipment identifier 68457 and ring number

8019288. This specimen provided us with data regarding the postnuptial migration of

2011, as well as the spring (prenuptial) migration of 2012. The autumn migration out of

the territory was on 25/09/11, arriving at its wintering area on 13/10/11. In this

migration, the specimen took only 19 days to the territory chosen for wintering,

standing 6 days in the Strait of Gibraltar waiting for the optimal climatic conditions to

cross into Africa. The distance covered was 2860 km (2440-3380, min-max of the

study) The spring migration, back to its breeding territory, began on 21/03/12, arriving

on 22/04/12. On the return trip, it took 33 days, having increased the number of stop

days until, of which only 1 was in the Strait. These may make us think, that unlike what

we thought about the speed and physical condition of the adults who make the

migration, that the booted eaglesmake stops of several days in various areas to recover

and arrive in good condition to their breeding territories.... The average distance covered

in autumn migration was 225.3 km, in spring migration 158.7 km. One of the aspects

that needs more effort, dedication and investment in the knowledge of the biology,

behaviour and conservation of the booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus), is the prenuptial

and postnuptial migration as well as the use of space both in the breeding season as well

as in wintering and migration. The roadway is considered mainly as a trans-Saharan

migratory species, concentrating its African wintering quarters in the western Sahel. We

have data, through capture or recovery of booted eagleswith rings and wing marks, as

well as the collection of data provided by 21 booted eagles that during 2011-2014 were

equipped with satellite transmitters within the SEO/Birdlife Migra Programme. One of

the biases that this program had in relation to the booted eaglesis that of the 21

specimens equipped with transmitters, only 1 of them corresponded to a young man. In

addition to that single specimen, another of the biases that presented, is that the chicken

belonged to the sedentary population of Mallorca, so the movements made by the

specimen, are not representative of the population.

Unfortunately, when he was already in his territory of Madrigal AA.TT. he died as a

consequence of a collision traumatism. Thanks to this tracking system, the emitter when

active and emitting could be recovered for later use in another individual.

Before using satellite technology, other research work was carried out using

conventional radio tracking techniques; today obsolete due to its reduced performance

with GSM/GPS technology.

The use of methods of individualization of specimens of roadways, such as metal rings,

PVC rings, patagio marks and markings of maquia, give us little data because some of

them can not be read in flight or inns (case of rings), or due to the small number of

specimens that are marked and the need to have observers throughout their area of

distribution in the case of marks.

As wildlife monitoring equipment is being developed, in addition to lowering

equipment prices, more studies have been carried out on spatial ecology and the need to

have observers throughout its distribution area in the case of tags.

As wildlife monitoring teams develop, in addition to lowering equipment prices, more

studies have been carried out on spatial ecology and habitat use of certain species. This

aspect is becoming increasingly important and transcendental when it comes to land

planning by public administrations. Just as important is the conservation of the forest

masses where booted eagles nest, as is the identification of field and wintering areas, as

well as their routes, for their protection. These data on certain species such as the

imperial, perdicera, bearded vulture... species with recovery plans for their populations,

are frequent. Unfortunately, in more common species or with lesser categories of

protection such as roads, snakes, busards... these research works are scarce.

Although the section on general and specific objectives will be expanded to include

GSM/GPS transmitters for an adequate number of carriageways, it can provide valuable

information when defining the areas it exploits during its annual cycle, providing habitat

managers with valuable data when implementing habitat conservation measures and the

protected species located within them.

JUSTIFICATION

But why do I raise the need to equip young people and adults with GPS/GSM emitters?

For many reasons based on the lack of knowledge of important aspects in the non-

reproductive period of the roads. After researching the species over the last 25 years, we

have published articles, a monograph, encyclopaedia records of the species, papers... we

still do not know or have little data on this period.

In the first place, when facing an equipment project with GPS/GSM emitters, within the

PENNATUS PROJECT, which in its first phase covers a period of five years, during

which the emitter will provide us with the locations of the specimens daily, we can get a

little closer to the knowledge of how global warming may be acting on the arrival and

departure dates of wintering grounds and breeding territories, as well as whether the

habitats of the species are being modified, from the areas it uses to hunt as if they prefer

to winter in our country, make a reverse migration route and reach France and Italy...

Secondly, due to these changes in the behaviour of the carriageway in this 21st century,

which I recently published in the magazine Quercus, we can know the spatial ecology of

adults from the time they arrive in their breeding territories until they leave on their

migration. As the population studied is a population very close to man, in a very

humanized environment, we can obtain information on whether the roadway is entering

cities and towns to hunt. The conservation of a species such as the calzada, with a wide

distribution in Europe, Africa and Asia, not only entails the protection of breeding

areas, but also knowing and delimiting the areas of championship, hunting areas, to

protect them, manage their exploitation in a sustainable way... since it is these areas that

will allow the females to fatten, to lay, the chickens to come out ahead... But not only in

our territory, thanks to the emitters we can know which countries the booted eaglesgo

through to reach the western Sahel. This is very important, because we can detect

critical survival points, which will allow us to have joint management between Spain

and those countries in order to tackle the conservation of this trans-Saharan migratory

species.

Thirdly, and of paramount importance. There is a large gap in terms of young road users

from their first calendar year (1yr) until they begin their first reproduction (possibly in

their 3yr). We do not have mortality rates for young people, we do not know which

main routes they use, whether they travel alone or accompanied by other young people

and/or adults who show them the routes, when they reproduce for the first time, how

long the wandering period lasts until they are established in a territory, which are the

countries that receive these wandering people, they return to our country in their second

calendar year even though they are not reproducers, they present philopathy (return to

the birth zone when they are going to find a partner and start reproduction), which are

the main causes of mortality for young people, the main black spots of mortality... No

research work has been carried out on young road users. The time has come to carry out

the first of them, with new, transcendental data for their survival and knowledge.

Fourthly, the idea is to equip six carriageways during 2020, of which there will be a

family nucleus composed of male, female and their chickens. I know the breeding pairs

in this study area, having identified the ideal pair to work on. When I consider

equipping a family, we are going to obtain very interesting data on the use of the space

of each sex in different periods (pre-setting, incubation and breeding of chicks, period

of dependence of young people). In addition to these data between the sexes, we can

define in detail the period of dependence of young people to adults when they begin to

fly (duration, progress, distances ...) and determine how long this process lasts and

when we can talk about being independent. Added to all the above, we can define the

phenology of the family in the first autumn migration, determining sex that leaves the

territory before, dates of abandonment, routes chosen by each sex and age, duration of

migration of each of them, proximity of the family in the migration ...

For all the previous points, I believe that the project, in addition to having an expert in

the species and experts in the capture and installation of the emitters, presents a good

scientific basis, a broad and rigorous justification for its action, as well as knowledge of

the area of study, behavior of the selected couple, etc., which guarantees its success.

SPONSOR BENEFITS

In addition to the benefit that we can obtain in the scientific and informative knowledge

of a species like the booted eagle as researchers, we can enumerate many other benefits,

advantages... for all those people, companies, administrations... that contribute

economic resources to be able to acquire the monitoring equipment and its placement.

The most important are listed below:

? Thanks to the social networks we have in the project on the roadway (Facebook,

Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin), monographic blog of the species (with access

from more than 98 countries in the world and nearly 70,000 visits), Youtube

channel of the roadway ... we can significantly increase the number of visitors to

websites or social networks of collaborating companies or administrations.

? Advertising to companies and administrations through the sending of news,

images, videos...through instant messaging such as Whatsapp, Messenger... to

individuals, which would become potential customers.

? Mailing on the emitters' placement days, including adult capture and access to

the nests on the roadways, to a database of more than 900 people and

institutions, indicating who the sponsors are.

? Quotations and inclusion of the logos of the collaborating companies in all

publications in printed media that are carried out as a consequence of the

publication of scientific and informative articles resulting from the analysis of

the data obtained from the positions of the monitored individuals.

? To have free means of diffusion, publicity, marketing... more powerful, more

used... for any company or administration.

? Open door of the municipalities, companies... to a high number of internet users,

social networks, Youtube... all over the world. We have access to these

platforms from France, Italy, Germany, USA ... which will be potential visitors

to these locations, and potential consumers of products and services of partner

companies.

? Increase in the number of visitors to the locations involved in the project,

through the implementation of conferences, guided tours ... to the area. It is very

demanded by the chat users of this type of cameras, to be able to go to the areas

where they are located to get an idea of what the environment is like that they

can not visualize the camera.

? The implementation of this type of environmental initiative can fit perfectly into

the Environmental Management Systems (EMS) of companies that have

implemented the ISO 14001 standard or EMAS Regulation, complying with the

company's Environmental Policy.

? Positive evaluation by society of those companies that collaborate in the project,

as they are identified as sustainable, involved with the conservation of the

environment, protected fauna...

? Choosing the name of the chicken and/or adult.

? Data of the rings placed on the adults and chickens to which the emitters are

placed.

? History of the life of the specimen (age, sex, territory, date of arrival, habitat,

peculiarities, anecdotes...).

? Photographs of the specimen on the day of its ringing and placement of the

emitters

? Periodic communication of the positions (coordinates, locations, days...)

received from the issuers during the five years contracted.

? Invitation to natural or legal persons who provide financing in a certain

minimum amount, to a day where the capture of the adults and/or the placement

of the issuers in the chickens takes place.

? Gifts for contributions such as PENNATUS PROJECT stickers, t-shirts,

roadway feathers, books on National Parks, Monography of the Booted Eagle,

books on Birds of Prey, weekend in Tarifa at the COCN facilities, drawing of an

original sheet of the Booted Eagle, gift photographs by professional

photographers...

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

The general objective of the project presented is to equip six booted eagles with satellite

transmitters. They would be an entire family of booted eagles from the province of

Valladolid (male, female and two chicks), and two chicks from other nests, and would

obtain their daily locations for five years in order to obtain data on spatial ecology,

habitat use, migratory routes, wintering areas... depending on the age and sex of the

specimens.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

More specifically, by implementing such an action, the following objectives are to be

achieved:

? Analysis of biometry, plumage and moult of the adults of booted eagles when

they arrive from their wintering quarters.

? Determine the area of the pair's territory and the champion area, as well as

carrying out an analysis of the possible areas of use, surface area, distance to the

nest... depending on the sex of the individual and the time within the

reproductive cycle.

? Know the use of the space depending on the time zone.

? Phenology of each of the members of the family, analysing possible differences

in sex and age.

? Determine the main migration routes and identify wintering areas depending on

sex and age.

? To characterize the migratory trips of the family (date of departure and arrival,

duration of the trips, distances travelled, time band of the movements, stopovers,

speed and height of flight...).

? Identify the main hunting areas of the family (champion) as well as their

characteristics such as surface, shape, distance to the nest...

? Identify the main causes of mortality in the event that a specimen of the studied

family is recovered.

? To detect critical black spots in terms of mortality of young and adults in order

to carry out measures to minimise this mortality.

? Obtain the first data regarding the age of the first reproduction of booted eagles.

? To determine philopathic phenomena in young booted eagles.

? To know aspects about the wandering period, dispersion, of young booted eagles

until they begin their first reproduction.