90
Kratki prispevki / Short Communications
A short review of the status of 
Bonnelli’s Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus 
in Bulgaria 
Kratek pregled statusa kraguljega orla 
Hieraaetus fasciatus v Bolgariji
Stoyan Ch. Nikolov1, Bojidar Ivanov2, Petar 
Iankov3 & Jean-Louis Dambiermont4 
1  Central Laboratory of General Ecology (Bulgarian 
Academy of Sciences), 2 Gagarin Str., BG−1113 
Sofia, Bulgaria, e−mail: nikolov100yan@abv.bg
2  Institute of Zoiology, 1 bul. Tzar Osvoboditel,  
BG−1000 Sofia, Bulgaria, e−mail: bai_bobo@yahoo.com
3  Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/
BirdLife Bulgaria, BG−1111 Sofia, P.O. Box 50,
Bulgaria, e−mail: petar.iankov@gmail.com
4  5A Their des malades, B−4500, Belgium, e−mail: 
jean-louis.dambiermont@skynet.be
The Bonnelli’s Eagle is rather rare in Bulgaria with 
breeding population estimated at one to three pairs for 
the 1996 − 2002 period (BirdLife International 
2004) and one possible breeding pair for 2004 
(Nankinov et al. 2004). There have been seven 
published localities of the species so far and only one 
nest found in the country (Simeonov et al. 1990). 
Present below are three observations of Bonnelli’s 
Eagle in the region of Madjarovo town in the Eastern 
Rhodopes. 
On 3 May 2003 two adult birds were observed 
flying together and taking liberties with one another
in the region of Madjarovo town (UTM MG01). On 
25 May 2005 a 3y Bonnelli’s Eagle was observed soaring 
at about 2 km north of Madjarovo town. The bird flew
away in north-eastern direction. Second 3y Bonnelli’s 
Eagle was observed near the dam of the Studen 
Kladenetz Reservoir (UTM LG80) flying to the east
along the Arda River at about 120 m height at 12.02 h 
on 21 May 2006. The bird was in transitional plumage 
with reddish-brown underbody and under wing-covers 
beginning to develop under wing black bar and dark 
trailing tail band (Svensson et al. 2000). 
It is probable that the Bonnelli’s Eagle breeds in 
the area of Madjarovo town because the landscape 
there corresponds a lot to the habitat preferred by the 
species: arid, sparsely vegetated mountainous areas, 
with foothills, river valleys, gorges and steep cliffs 
(Real et al. 1997).
Povzetek 
Avtorji podajajo nove podatke o pojavljanju 
kraguljega orla v letih 2003, 2005 in 2006 v bli`ini 
mesta Madjarovo v vzhodnih Rodopih (UTM MG01; 
Bolgarija), kjer je mo`na tudi gnezditev.
References
BirdLife International (2004): Birds in Europe: 
population estimates, trends and conservation status. 
– BirdLife Conservation Series No. 12, Cambridge, UK.
Nankinov, D. et al. (2004): Breeding totals of the ornitho-
fauna in Bulgaria. – Green Balkans, Plovdiv.
Real, J., Palma, L. & Rocamora, G. (1997): Bonnelli’s Eagle 
Hieraaetus fasciatus In: Hagemeijer, E.J.W. & Blair M.J. 
(eds.). The EBCC Atlas of European breeding birds: 
their distribution and abundance. – T & AD Poyser, 
London;.
Simeonov, S., Michev, T. & Nankinov, D. (1990): Fauna 
of Bulgaria. Vol. 20, Aves, Part I. – BAS, Sofia.
Svensson, L., Grant, P., Mullarney, K. & Zetterström, 
D. (2000): The most complete guide to the birds of Britain 
and Europe. – HarperCollins Publishers, London.
Arrived / Prispelo: 23.6.2006
Accepted / Sprejeto: 5.10.2006