Scientists floored after tracking eagle's flight throughout vast journey: 'Flying by instinct'
Researchers discovered that the Pallas's fish eagle returns to the same spot in an Indian national park for its annual breeding season.
According to the Hindu, the eagle has been flying to Assam's Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve to breed for five years in a row. It's one of the largest fishing eagles and is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The tracked individual, a bird called Ider, exhibits reverse migration habits. Kaziranga acts as its home base for breeding, but it flies back to Mongolia after each breeding season. Two months after hatching, the baby birds are strong enough to fly to Mongolia as well.
Dr. Sachin Ranade, one of the scientists tracking the flight patterns from the Bombay Natural History Society, said, "They don't need parental guidance, flying by instinct to navigate the [Central Asian Flyway]."
Ranade explained, "We observed two chicks in the tagged bird's nest. Although we cannot say how many chicks it has sired, we can conclude it bred every year in Kaziranga for five successive years."
According to the Hindu, it's estimated that only 2,500 mature Pallas's eagles exist in the wild. Seeing it return to Kaziranga each year is a positive sign for the species.
Kaziranga's field director, Sonali Ghosh, noted, "Kaziranga is one of the best locations on Earth to observe this bird." It's also one of the safest places.
Kaziranga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a protected area, home to some of India's rarest creatures. One-horned rhinos, elephants, wild water buffalo, tigers, and swamp deer all reside here. Seeing the Pallas's eagle breed here means the young birds will have a safe place to grow before flying to Mongolia.
Places like Kaziranga are essential for protecting biodiversity. The more species within an ecosystem, the more resilient it is. All creatures, including humans, rely on biodiversity for food and water security, disease control, and climate stability. Protecting birds like this eagle and preserving areas like Kaziranga help foster a cooler, healthier planet.
According to the New Indian Express, Ghosh said in a statement that this development "highlights the importance of Kaziranga as a critical habitat for migratory birds [and] the need for continued conservation efforts to protect such endangered species."
Hopefully, the Pallas's eagles will safely return to Kaziranga for many more breeding seasons.
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