Releasing 6490, 15 December 2021.
6490 is an adult Greater spotted eagle that we captured at Al Jahra Reserve, Kuwait on 15 December 2021 and fitted with a GPS-GSM tracking device. In the almost 4 years since capture it has sent back 239,640 locations that detail its movements of 74,743 km (Figure 1).
Every year since capture it has returned to Kuwait and the head of the Gulf to winter, a faithfulness to wintering sites that is not unusual in eagles, especially species like the Greater spotted eagle, which uses wetland land habitats (as is found at Al Jahra). Of all the Greater spotted eagles that we have tracked, 6490 is the one that stays most consistently at Al Jahra, and has not made visits to appropriate habitat in Iran and Iraq, used by other eagles we have tracked (Figure 2).
6490 spent its summers in northern Kazakhstan – southern Russia. 6490 appeared to hold a territory in moist habitats near the Russian town to Tyumen in all years it has been tracked. During summers it ranged over 4697 – 6849 sq km, and had core areas of 19 – 63 sq km. It spent an average of 170 days on the summering grounds.
As with all but one of the Greater spotted eagles we have tracked, 6490 migrated between summering and wintering grounds along a route that passed south of the Caspian Sea (Figure 1). The travel distance was 2383 – 3367 km, depending upon the exact route taken. In spring 6490 left the wintering grounds in late March and arrived at the summering site during mid-April; it took 20 – 23 days to complete spring migration. On average it travelled 166 – 183 km/day; the maximum daily travel distance was 545 km. In autumn, the journey started in early October, and ended later that month. 6490 completed its autumn migration in 14 – 20 days. Average daily travel distance was 135 – 199 km; maximum daily travel distance was 381 km.
6490 is still sending location data. Currently (12 September 2025), 6490 is in Kazakhstan, east of Aktobe. We expect it will be back in Al Jahra next month.
