Stressed Golden Eagles: Aerial Battles in the Graubünden Sky
Graubünden is home to more golden eagle pairs than any other canton. Growing territorial competition is leading to spectacular aerial battles in the Graubünden sky. More on wildlife in Switzerland.
Graubünden has more golden eagle pairs than any other canton.
119 pairs occupy territories here. However, they are so stressed that around 40 percent do not breed at all.
It is actually good news: the golden eagle is thriving in Graubünden. Since each pair requires a territory of 50 to 100 square kilometres, virtually every patch of the Graubünden sky is occupied.
Young birds displace older pairs
And this is becoming a problem. There are no longer any free territories for young birds. As a result, they attempt to drive out older pairs by force.
«The eagle pairs are stressed because they are constantly occupied with defending their territory against lone individuals,» says David Jenny of the Swiss Ornithological Institute to «Südostschweiz».
The attacks are fierce: «Almost half of the dead golden eagles that are found are victims of such fights.»
Natural regulation
The battle for dominance in the skies is brutal. But it is also part of natural regulation.
Almost half of all eagle pairs are so preoccupied with defending their territory that they produce no offspring — and therefore no new golden eagles desperately searching for a territory. A striking example of how wildlife populations regulate themselves.
