The LIFE Bonelli eastMed Team in Karpathos again this year

For one more year, the field team of the LIFE Bonelli eastMed Project visited our favourite island of Karpathos, which we have been visiting for the last three years, to monitor the territory of the Bonelli’s Eagle both on the main island of Karpathos and on the uninhabited island of Saria.

A nest approach to tag juvenile Bonelli’s Eagles in an active breeding territory of North Karpathos. © NHMC Archive / Aspasia Anagnostopoulou

With the invaluable help of the Southeastern Aegean Protected Areas Management Unit and excellent volunteers who assist us every year, we visited two of the active breeding territories of the species on the island this year to ring and tag young Bonelli’s Eagles with a satellite transmitter! This was also the first successful attempt to approach and rappel down to the nests of the main island, as in previous years the emphasis was placed on the uninhabited island of Saria, while our efforts in Karpathos were unsuccessful.

We are very happy that this year in Karpathos, we managed to approach and tag with a satellite transmitter young Bonelli’s Eagles and we wish them good flights!

It should be noted that all these years on the island of Karpathos we have been assisted by two climbers from abroad and a volunteer from Diafani in North Karpathos. Every time we visit the island they drop everything to assist us in our invaluable effort within the framework of the Project. Mirka, Manu and Minas thank you very much!

Bonelli’s Eagle juvenile tagged with a satellite transmitter, after being returned to its nest by the cooperating climber. © NHMC Archives / Emmanuel Aussedat

The field team in action! © NHMC Archives / Emmanuel Aussedat