Golden eagles go to 'flight school' to master soaring skills

You might think that flying is a no-brainer for birds. It seems like a natural, instinctive behavior. And for the most part, it is. But intriguingly, researchers have discovered that young golden eagles need to learn how to utilize certain aspects to their advantage as they fly.

Flying skills of eagles

At the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, researchers set out to investigate how juvenile golden eagles hone their flying skills as they grow.

The researchers teamed up with experts at the Swiss Ornithological Institute and the University of Vienna for a fascinating journey into the heart of the European Alps.

The study’s findings, published in the journal eLife, unwrap a whole new dynamic of avian development.

The research sheds light on the progressive flight skills of golden eagles, and how these skills expand their explorative frontiers in the Alps. This goes against our standard notion of instinctive behaviors being inbuilt and unchangeable.

The science of soaring

Golden eagles are not just any birds, they are soaring specialists. They have a unique method of travel – riding on upward-moving air currents, known in layman’s terms as uplifts.

These uplifts help them conserve energy while flying large distances, an essential survival strategy in the expansive Alps.

Learning to identify these invisible uplifts, and positioning their bodies efficiently within these currents, is a skill that’s honed over time.

“The eagles literally need to learn to fly, at least when it comes to using uplifts,” noted Elham Nourani, lead author of the study.

Tracking golden eagles

Using GPS tracking technology, the scientists monitored 55 juvenile golden eagles that had nested in Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Slovenia, and Austria.

The experts followed the birds for up to three years after they left their parents’ territories and began their individual journey across the central European Alps.

Young golden eagles at flight school

This journey was essentially the golden eagles’ flight school. Initially, the young eagles preferred to fly close to mountain ridges, where the upward winds are predictable and reliable.

Over time, however, they began exploring more open areas where uplifts are less predictable.

This shift in strategy was a clear indication of their growing confidence and improved ability to locate and use the unpredictable air currents more competently over time.

Experience expands the eagles’ territory

Kamran Safi, a research group leader at the Max Planck Institute in Konstanz, elaborated on these behaviors.

“Flying is an eagle’s defining behavioral trait and you would think that when they fledged they should take to it like fish to water. But apparently, they need experience and learning to extract energy from the atmospheric flows, shaping and changing how they move and where they go,” noted Safi.

The areas where the eagles could safely and effectively cover for food, shelter, and breeding multiplied exponentially as they aged.

After three years, the flyable area expanded more than 2,000-fold, demonstrating the impact of their learned skills on their habitat use.

Challenges in the avian environment

Despite their innate potential as apex aerial hunters, juvenile golden eagles face numerous hurdles in mastering their flight skills. Environmental factors play a significant role in this learning process.

The Alps, with their unpredictable weather patterns and dynamic air currents, pose complex challenges for these birds.

Eagles must adapt to ever-changing conditions, which requires not only instinct but also critical thinking and adaptability.

This adaptation extends beyond merely finding uplifts. The birds must learn to fly in harsh winds, heavy rains, and varying thermal patterns.

Conservation of golden eagles

The insights from this study have implications for avian conservation strategies. Understanding the learning curve and the developmental needs of golden eagles allows for more informed conservation plans.

By identifying critical habitats and flight training areas essential for eagle maturation, conservationists can focus efforts on preserving these regions.

Additionally, the data collected aids in predicting how these majestic birds might respond to climate change, which could alter the distribution of reliable air currents across mountainous terrains.

Broader implications of the study

As Elham Nourani noted, understanding the dynamic relationship between the aging eagles and their changing use of the landscape is crucial.

“Our study suggests that such maps should be viewed as dynamic, changing across various factors, including age,” said Nourani.

Such insights can lead to more accurate predictions of potential overlaps between human activities and eagle behavior, particularly their landscape use at different stages of development.

The study is published in the journal eLife.

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