LifeTrack Golden Eagles

The project is a collaboration between Vogelwarte Sempach and the Max Planck Institute, using high-resolution GPS tracking combined with tri-axial accelerometers (ACC) to study flight behaviour, route selection, and energy expenditure. Working with falconry birds at Adler Arena Burg Landskron allowed precise calibration of accelerometer signals under controlled conditions, directly linking movement patterns to energetic costs and enabling the construction of detailed energy landscapes across different habitats and topographies.

By following golden eagles across mountain ranges, valley and political borders, the project highlights the mismatch between ecological connectivity and administrative boundaries. The results provide critical insights for transboundary conservation, demonstrating how movement ecology and bio-logging can inform more effective, landscape-scale protection strategies for large raptors.