Atlas of nesting birds in Bulgaria

Lesser spotted eagle

(Clanga pomarina)

Category of conservation concern (IUCN, 2020) – Least Concern

Population size: 2020: 600 – 700 pairs (2007: 350 – 450 pairs)

Distribution pattern

With an uneven patchy distribution, most of the breeding population (70%) is concentrated in the Southeastern and Eastern parts of Bulgaria and almost widespread in Strandzha, Sakar and significant parts of Eastern Stara Planina, the Eastern Rhodopes and Dobrudzha. The rest of the pairs are dispersed throughout most of the country, mainly in its lower parts. Absent or poorly represented in Northwestern Bulgaria, the Western Frontier Mountains, the Southern part of the Danubian Plain and the Fore-Balkans, the valleys of the Struma and Mesta rivers, etc. Avoids high mountains such as Rila, Pirin and the Western Rhodopes. It occurs in altitudes from sea level to about 1500 m, mainly in the range between 100 m and 1000 m.

Population estimation for the period 2013 – 2020:  The differences in distribution and numbers during the period 2013-2020 compared to 2007 are mainly due to the extended and focussed studies of the species, and not so much to some development of the population.

Population size in Special Protection Areas of Natura 2000: 200-250 pairs (33% of the population). Nearly 1/3 of the population is located in Special Protection Areas, with the highest numbers found in the SPAs “Sakar” (40-45 pairs), “Western Strandzha” (40-42 pairs) and “Derventski Hills” (20 pairs).

Big size map

Breeding distribution 2013 – 2020 – The distribution and the estimation of the population size of the species for the period 2013 – 2020 is presented –

Comparative distribution of the species compared to the first breeding birds atlas (Iankov, 2007): Breeding locality until 2007 | Breeding locality until 2007, confirmed after 2015 – | New breeding locality after 2015. – The breeding localities after 2015 are identified on a base of raw data from smartbirds.org.

Habitats

Breeds in forests with meadows, close to river valleys, pastures, meadows, swamps, groups of trees along streams: mainly in broad–leaved deciduous forests, but also in mixed forests, in alluvial and riverine forests and brush, rarely in strips of trees, shrubs and patches of them.

Trends in population changes for the period 2013-2020

Short-term trend of population size:

Slightly increasing

Long-term trend of population size:

Slightly increasing

Short-term trend of distribution:

Stable

Long-term trend of distribution:

Stable

Threats

Destruction and degradation of food and breeding habitats by ploughing or overgrowing of grasslands, and changes in the forest structure, reduction of food sources, disturbance during the breeding season, poaching, taking chicks and eggs.

Dimitar Demerdzhiev, Volen Arkumarev