Short-Toed Eagle Welfare and Reptile Prey Declines in Southern Europe

The short-toed eagle is a specialist reptile hunter of open Mediterranean landscapes, facing welfare threats from prey scarcity through pesticide use and land abandonment affecting lizard and snake populations.

Key Facts

Short-toed eagles are large raptors that feed almost exclusively on snakes and lizards
They breed across southern Europe from Iberia to the Caucasus and winter in sub-Saharan Africa
Reptile prey availability is highly dependent on warm, open habitat with suitable basking sites
Agricultural intensification reduces reptile diversity and abundance in breeding territories
Powerline collision and electrocution are significant mortality causes in their range

Welfare Considerations

Short-toed eagle welfare during the breeding season depends critically on reptile prey abundance in the breeding territory. In years of low prey availability, a single chick may not be fed adequately, causing growth failure and starvation. Pesticide-driven reptile declines in intensively managed agricultural land reduce hunting success, forcing adults to range further from the nest and increasing chick fasting periods. Maintaining diverse open-mosaic habitats that support high reptile populations is the primary welfare intervention available.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment schemes maintaining open mosaic habitats in short-toed eagle territories
Advocate for pesticide restrictions that protect reptile populations in eagle breeding areas
Report short-toed eagle nest locations to national raptor monitoring networks
Engage with power companies on pylon insulation programmes in eagle range areas
Contribute to BirdLife International programmes tracking short-toed eagle population trends