Serbia's Eastern Imperial Eagles reach record level in 2026
Once reduced to a single breeding pair in the country, Serbia’s Eastern Imperial Eagle population has risen to 29 territorial pairs this year.
Serbia’s population of Eastern Imperial Eagles has reached a new record in 2026, according to a report highlighted by Ornithomedia.
A total of 29 territorial pairs was monitored this year, of which 27 began nesting. Sixteen pairs bred successfully, producing 25 chicks, which were expected to fledge by mid-July.
The figures represent a notable increase on 2025, when 19 pairs and 14 chicks were recorded, and mark a remarkable recovery for a species that had almost disappeared from Serbia less than a decade ago.
By 2017, the country’s Eastern Imperial Eagle population had fallen to just one known breeding pair. The decline followed decades of habitat loss, persecution, poisoning, loss of nesting trees and reduced prey availability, particularly in the agricultural landscapes of northern Serbia.
Since then, conservation work led by the Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia, with support from international partners and wider regional recovery efforts, has helped the species regain ground. Measures have included nest guarding, monitoring, work to reduce human-caused mortality, the installation of nesting platforms and efforts to improve breeding conditions in key areas.
The recovery has been particularly associated with Vojvodina, the flat northern province that forms part of the wider Pannonian region, where Eastern Imperial Eagle conservation has also benefited from the neighbouring recovery of the species in Hungary.
Eastern Imperial Eagles are long-lived but slow-maturing raptors, meaning population recovery can take many years. Young birds may not breed until several years old, and productivity can be affected by disturbance, food supply, weather and the availability of safe nesting sites.
Despite the record count, conservationists continue to warn that the species remains vulnerable. Poisoning, shooting, disturbance, collisions with power lines and the loss of suitable habitat remain significant threats, while young birds can also face dangers during dispersal and migration.
The risks were underlined recently by the case of Feliks, a young Serbian Eastern Imperial Eagle that was captured by poachers in Syria, entered the illegal wildlife trade, and was eventually returned to Serbia following an international rescue effort.
Feliks had been fitted with a transmitter before leaving Serbia on his first migratory journey. His return drew attention both to the recovering Serbian breeding population and to the dangers still faced by young eagles once they leave the nest.
The 2026 breeding figures nonetheless show that Serbia’s Eastern Imperial Eagle population has continued to build on the recovery recorded in recent years, with more territorial pairs, more nesting attempts and more chicks than in 2025.
July 2026
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