Where in the World are Pallas's Fish Eagles? Migration and Ecology of Haliaeetus leucoryphus in Asia
Date of Graduation
5-2017
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Biology (PhD)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Biological Sciences
Advisor/Mentor
Douglas James
Committee Member
Kimberly Smith
Second Committee Member
Steven Stephenson
Third Committee Member
John Hehr
Keywords
Asia, Haliaeetus leucoryphus, Migration, Pallas's Fish Eagle
Abstract
Pallas’s Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus) is the Northern Hemisphere’s least understood eagle species. Virtually nothing is known concerning the species’ ecology. Historically, Pallas’s Fish Eagles were expected to breed in three separate populations in Mongolia, China, and India and was considered one of the most common raptors in Asia prior to the 1900’s. However, by 1960’s major declines were observed. The species is currently listed as “globally vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The current study examined over a century of Pallas’s Fish Eagle observation data to determine occupancy and detection rates throughout its range with hierarchical models. Results indicate a high probability of detection, but a low occupancy probability (<0.8). Three juvenile Pallas’s Fish Eagles were also tagged in India and Mongolia with 70 g GSM-GPS solar-powered, satellite transmitters to track their movements. The collected GPS data were used to determine home range sizes that averaged at 50 km2 and gather evidence of potential site-fidelity. Further, extensive, seasonal migrations of over 4000 km from India to Mongolia and Russia were observed in the spring and fall for all individuals with significant overlap in route and timing similarities. Tracked individuals also demonstrated a previously unknown capability to fly directly over the Himalayan Mountains at altitudes that exceed 6000 m. This study provided supporting evidence indicating that a majority of the migratory, global population of Pallas’s Fish Eagles is a single population, instead of three separate populations.
Citation
Steele, M. L. (2017). Where in the World are Pallas's Fish Eagles? Migration and Ecology of Haliaeetus leucoryphus in Asia. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/2015