In spite of a relentless cold spring and early summer in Iceland, the eagle nesting season was fairly successful with 29 chicks surviving the summer, even though there haven’t been this few since 2006.
Arnarfjördur (“Eagle Fjord”) in the West Fjords. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
Only 19 eagle couples managed to raise chicks but the nesting generation is strong; many couples raised two chicks and one three, which is very rare in Iceland. There are only eight such known cases since the late 19th century, ni.is reports.
The Icelandic eagle stock now has 66 couples and has been stagnant in the past years after a relatively continuous growth since before 1970.
A total of 500 eagles have been banded in Iceland since 1939, most of which were tagged in the past ten years.
A female eagle banded as a chick in 2005 laid eggs for the first time this summer and had settled 85 kilometers from where she was born.
The Icelandic Institute of Natural History (NÍ) monitors the eagle stock in cooperation with the Icelandic Bird Preservation Society and the Natural History Institutes of Stykkishólmur and Bolungarvík.
ESA
