One of the largest and the most striking birds of prey has been sighted in the Plitvice Lakes National Park after many years! The immature bird was recorded with a camera on the morning of 27 March 2024, in the wilderness area of the Park open only to expert and research teams. According to available data, the last time this species was sighted in the Plitvice Lakes National Park was 1 August 1953, 71 years ago. Thanks to the teamwork and dedication of the experts and conservationists at the Park, the Golden Eagle has been recorded once more. It would be interesting to learn if the sighted bird came from the nesting grounds in Lička Plješivica or somewhere closer to our Park. This elusive species avoids humans, which is why we usually find it only in remote and not easily accessible mountain areas.
The Golden Eagle has a wingspan of over 2 meters, it is one of the fastest flyers and a supreme predator. In Croatia, it is a rare and critically endangered (CR), strictly protected species of nesting bird, with between 20 and 25 couples present, which makes every sighting precious.
This year, the BIOM association initiated the project of counting the Golden Eagle in Croatia.
The Golden Eagle is increasingly under threat due to habitat loss, disturbance, hunting, poisoning, electrocution and wind turbine generators installed near its nesting grounds.
