Adler Lower Austria

Eagles in the German-speaking region occupy very different habitats depending on the species. The golden eagle, Steinadler, is today almost entirely tied to the Alps, where it uses open and semi-open mountain landscapes with very large home ranges. The white-tailed eagle, Seeadler, is bound to larger waters, coasts, lakes and rivers with mature shoreline forests, and has recovered noticeably across northern Germany after long persecution. The much rarer lesser spotted eagle, Schreiadler, breeds mainly in structurally rich forests of northeastern Germany and is considered seriously threatened there.

All three are highly specialised predators. Golden eagles take mainly medium-sized mammals such as marmots, young chamois and hares, using the terrain skilfully to approach their prey from low, contour-hugging flight. White-tailed eagles live above all from fish and waterbirds but also take carrion. Eagles reach a very high age, form lifelong pair bonds, and are especially sensitive to disturbance during the breeding season.

For hunters, eagles are not quarry but fellow inhabitants of the ground, covered by the stewardship duty in the Federal Hunting Act, the Bundesjagdgesetz. What matters in the field is correct identification: young white-tailed eagles in particular are easily confused with large buzzards or kites, and the smaller lesser spotted eagle is too. Anyone who sees a large raptor at a carrion site or during small game hunting should observe calmly, report eyries to the local authority, and avoid disturbing them. Any deliberate killing is a criminal offence.