A Bonelli's Eagle, known as Salem, was observed last weekend by a ranger from the Nature and Parks Authority; such birds, also known as hawk-eagles, are in danger of extinction. Salem, who was injured by Palestinian hunters in 2019, was seen in a nest located in the Judean Mountains area, where he was taking care of two chicks.
"Typically, a Bonelli's Eagle in Israel does not nest on trees," clarified Eran Kruzel, the ranger who recorded the sighting.
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It's been a tough road for brave Salem
(Photo: Eran Kruzel, Nature and Parks Authority)
Salem, a 7-year-old Bonelli's Eagle, was shot about five years ago in territories under the Palestinian Authority. He was rescued thanks to a Palestinian ecologist, who transferred him to the Nature and Parks Authority. During his treatment at the Wildlife Hospital at the Safari in Ramat Gan, dozens of lead pellets were found in his body. Upon recovery, a GPS transmitter from the "Spreading Wings" project was fastened to him.
"We returned the eagle to our Palestinian colleague so that the bird's return to nature could serve as a teaching opportunity for the local community," said Ohad Hatzofe, an avian ecologist at the Nature and Parks Authority. "Upon his release, we named the eagle 'Salem.' Since then, we've been monitoring his acclamation to the wild and are thrilled to report that he's begun to nest and attempt to raise offspring."
There are only 25 pairs of Bonelli's Eagles in Israel, not all of which nest, and the species is severely endangered. "Last year, we noticed Salem in a forested area and, upon closer observation, we saw that he and his mate were attempting to nest in the trees," Kruzel said. "Bonelli's Eagles in Israel usually nest on cliffs, not trees. This is an almost unheard-of occurrence here and certainly one that hasn't been photographed. While there are instances of Bonelli's Eagles nesting in trees in neighboring Cyprus, it's a unique phenomenon in Israel."
Last year, the mating pair of eagles failed to reproduce, likely due to the female's relative youth. However, they have successfully bred this year. "Locating a nest within a dense woodland is akin to locating a needle in a haystack," according to Kruzel. "We traversed overgrown areas and cliffs in our quest to locate the nest. We returned to the site where the nest had been the previous year but couldn't find it. Just when we were on the brink of giving up, we decided to employ a drone, using utmost caution to avoid causing any disturbance."
"After conducting a remote scan, we were able to detect a nest in a new location, approximately 0.6 miles from where it had been established the previous year. When we finally found a vantage point that allowed us to peer into the nest, we were overjoyed to discover that it was occupied. When I returned to observe the nest from a distance at the end of the week, I was doubly surprised to find not one, but two chicks."
The Bonelli's Eagle, which attains sexual maturity at a fairly young age, typically preys upon pigeons and medium- to small-sized birds. It also has the ability to hunt rock hyraxes and small mammals. An adult Bonelli's Eagle measures between about 22-26 inches in length and boasts a wingspan of around 5 feet. The eagle pair cooperatively raise their chicks, alternating between duties - one parent incubates or looks after the chick while the other goes hunting. Given that eagles are typically monogamous, it's no surprise that Salem and his partner are once again sharing a nest this year.