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Intraspecies communication and contest behaviour

For 3 hours, the 24^th March 2010, I am the witness of a specific behavior between a male and an intruding female. The scene takes place on a nest, two weeks before the laying-date. At first, the male “marks” his site ostensibly. An unknown female, interested by the nest appears …

Bernard Joubert, Haute-Loire /map/

Three more more articles are found on the Net:

• Marc Förschler, 2000 – Übersommerung eines Schlangenadlers (Circaetus gallicus) im Nordschwarzwald 1999 [Summering Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) in the Northern Black Forest] // Naturschutz südl. Oberrhein 3: 69-73. – (De) /map/ (source – the Fachschaft für Ornithologie Südlicher Oberrhein (FOSOR) website).

• Matthieu BERNARD, 2003 – Observation en Auvergne d’un Circaète Jean-le-Blanc (Circaetus gallicus) bagué [Observation of ringed Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) in Auvergne] // Le Grand Duc 62: 47. – (Fr).

Also other mentions of Short-toed Eagle can easy be found on the LPO Auvergne website including a work of Bernard Joubert on Haute-Loire /map/:

• Bernard JOUBERT, 2003 – Le Circaète Jean-le-Blanc (Circaetus gallicus) en Haute-Loire: données statistiques sur la reproduction dans la région de Langeac (Haut-Allier) [Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) in Haute-Loire: statistical data on the reproduction in the region of Langeac (Haut-Allier)] // Le Grand Duc 63: 1-6. – (Fr).

These scenes of life in Short-toed Eagles’ nest were fixed by Bernard Joubert in Haute-Loire /map/ this year:

Area: southern Auvergne. Altitude: 870 m above sea level. Tree: pine Pinus sylvestris. Height: 6 meters.

The egg was laid near the 8^th of April, the hatching happened around the 24^th of May. The young bird took off the 30^th of July, early afternoon. He was 67 days old. It was the twelfth succesful take-off in this site in 14 years.
The first visit – very discreet-happened when the chick was 10 days old. Between the 21^th of June and the 30^th of July, nine observatory sessions (circa 30 hours). Here is a photografic summary.

Bernard Joubert

Please take a look at the map of main survey area /map/. General description and photos can be viewed below:

Two neighboring breeding sites with eyries 2100 m apart (but more than an hour on foot) in the heart of the Allier gorges, one of the most scenic spots of the Massif Central with a great biodiversity an no measures of protection. The area is a border of the massif of La Margeride and the Velay’s hight plateaux, on the margeridian slope. Here, the valley is 400 m deep with slopes of 60%. Generaly, those birds avoid meeting but some hunting grounds are shared that can cause agonistic behavior.

Breeding site LM: Woods of firs and beeches with some pines. In a cool open concavity on the left slope of the Allier valley. The nest sits on a pine, 250 m from a path. 69% incline. On a granitic formation. Very little human activity.

Altitude: 890 m. Exposition: NE.

Breeding site SV: Because of the exposition, woods consist of oaks with some beeches and pines. Sometimes, gneissic outcrops cut through the forest. The nest is at the top of a pine, 75 m from a path. 55% incline. As the previous site, very few human activities (hunting in autumn and no regular forestry activities).

Altitude: 900 m. Exposition: ENE. Other interesting species: idem.

Nearest hunting ground: 100 ha of heath, growing after fires. No agricultural activities. Everywhere brooms, thick or sparse, with rocks in places, cliffs and bushes and few pines. The slopes are difficult of access for humans because of the vegetation, rocks and declivity, but very easy for snake eagles, with up-draughts (permitting hang-gliding and thermal soaring).

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Please take a look at the map of main survey area /map/. General description and photos can be viewed below:

15 pairs are surveyed since 1996 in the west of department, on the slopes of the huge hercynian massif of Margeride. Very few human activities in valleys. None intensive agricultural practices on the boarding plateaux (cattle: cow, sheep). Birds nest in V-shaped valleys of the Allier and tributaries, between 700 and 950 m above sea level. Eyries generally on pines, sometimes on firs. Usually nest areas are quiet.
Diet is based on few species: Elaphe longissima (chiefly), Vipera aspis (often), Anguis fragilis (especially during cool and rainy periods), sometimes Coronella. Lizards: Lacerta viridis and Podarcis muralis.

Site 1. Breeding site: Nest on the left of the valley (yellow circle), on a pine. Other nests on the other side (green circle: fir now dead because of Ips and al.), and at the end of a valley’s branch (orange circle).
Altitude: 870 m. Exposition: SW. Breeding success rate: 0.66 (n=12).

Site 2. Breeding site: 2008’s is nest in yellow circle. On the border of an oakwood and a pinewood. Nest on a pine. Two other eyries are known, one of which in the green circle, in the concavity of the mountain.
Altitude: 760 m. Exposition: SSE. Breeding success rate: 0.45 (n=11). Bad rate because site at the crossroad of flight paths of other birds, for hunting areas.

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New personal site of famous French researcher, Yves Boudoint /map/, has been created. Among the sections there are many different photos of Short-toed Eagles, old and relatively new texts (Fr) and presentations of materials on CD and DVD dedicated to the birds. The site’s content tells its own story.

Bibliographical descriptions of Bernard Joubert‘s articles on Short-toed Eagle in the Alauda journal can be found on the Pascal and Francis Bibliographic DB, the abstracts (En) are represented below:

• 1998 – Données préliminaires sur les Circaètes Jean-le-Blanc Circaetus gallicus de Haute-Loire [Preliminary study on the Short-toed Eagle in the Haute-Loire Department /map/] // Alauda, vol. 66, №3, pp. 207-220 (abstract).

• 1999 – Trois comportements de circaètes Jean-le-Blanc mâles Circaetus gallicus en période de reproduction [Three behavior of Short-toed Eagle during breeding period] // Alauda, vol. 67, №2, pp. 141-144 (abstract).

• 2002 – Données éthologiques sur la formation du couple chez le Circaète Jean-le-Blanc Circaetus gallicus [Ethological data on pair forming in Short-toed Eagle] // Alauda, vol. 70, №1, pp. 3-8 (abstract).

• 2002 – L’aire du Circaète Jean-Le-Blanc Circaetus gallicus : Données éthologiques sur la collecte de matériaux. Place du nid dans la stratégie adaptative de l’espèce [Short-toed Eagle nest: ethological data on nest material collection: Importance of nest size and position for the adaptative behaviour of the species] // Alauda, vol. 70, №2, pp. 263-270 (abstract).

• 2006 – Données sur la reproduction du circaète jean-le-blanc Circaetus gallicus dans la haute vallée de l’Allier (Haute-Loire, France) [Remarks on breeding Short-toed Eagle in the upper allier valley (Haute-Loire, France /map/)] // Alauda, vol. 74, №1, pp. 1-12 (abstract).