A new protected area for the rare white-tailed eagle will be established in the Kyiv region
The Teteriv Forest District in the Kyiv region plans to establish a new protected area to safeguard the white-tailed eagle—one of Ukraine’s largest and rarest birds of prey, listed in the Red Book.
A new white-tailed eagle nest was discovered during the annual monitoring of rare bird habitats, which foresters conduct jointly with specialists from WWF-Ukraine and scientists from the Kyiv Zoo.
During a follow-up survey, scientists confirmed that the birds have successfully nested and are already raising their young.
“In the spring, we recorded a new white-tailed eagle nest. To include it in the protected area, the bird must settle there and raise a new brood. Nesting has been confirmed, and the chicks are growing. They are already quite large, as they hatch earlier than all the others—in April,” said Oleksandr Panchuk, a research associate in the “Birds” department at the Kyiv Zoo.
According to him, a scientific justification for the official establishment of a protected area is currently being prepared in collaboration with WWF-Ukraine.
In accordance with environmental protection requirements, a special protection regime will be established around the white-tailed eagle’s nest. Forestry work will be prohibited within a 500-meter radius during the nesting period and within a 100-meter radius on a permanent basis.
Although an official decision has not yet been made, foresters have already halted all work near the nesting site so as not to disturb the birds while they are raising their young.
In total, the Teteriv Forest District already has 12 protected zones for Red Book species, including the black stork, the snake eagle, the lesser spotted eagle, and the gray crane. This year, all known nests have been occupied again.
“New chicks have already hatched at the black stork nesting sites. They hatched around the end of May. It is difficult to count how many there are yet, as the bird is closely guarding its offspring,” noted Oleksandr Panchuk.
After the necessary documents are prepared, the materials will be submitted to the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, which is to make the final decision on the creation of a new protected area.
Source: State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine.”
