Cainism, nestling management in Germany in 2004-2007 and satellite tracking of juveniles in the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina)The Lesser Spotted Eagle belongs to a species with obligatory cainism, which means that in the natural state it is rare that two young eagles fledge, although as a rule two chick's hatch. The breeding population in Germany is at the western edge of the species' range and is declining (a 23% decrease between 1993 and 2007). Local extinction can be anticipated and therefore nestling management has been implemented in the German federal state of Brandenburg since 2004 as a conservation measure by using human intervention to prevent the death of the younger sibling. This is in addition to other methods such as nest-site protection, habitat preservation, legislation etc. Furthermore, in 2007, second hatched eagle chicks (Abels) from Latvia were translocated for the first time. The managed pairs (nests physically inspected) were on average more successful than the unmanaged pairs (nests not physically inspected). It cannot be determined as to whether the inspection of the nests had a negative effect on breeding. Breeding success of the pairs present in Brandenburg, including non-breeders, increased by 57 % in 2007 due to nestling management, and that of the managed pairs alone by 67 %. In 2007 the behaviour of six young eagles was studied using satellite telemetry. This study determined that the Abels migrated as well as the first hatched eagle chicks (Cains), and that their survival chances were equally good. The Abels imported from Latvia migrated in two out of three cases along the same route as the German Lesser Spotted Eagles to the Bosporus. One Latvian Abel which fledged in Germany was tracked by satellite to Zambia where many Lesser Spotted Eagles winter. A German Abel wintered North of the Equator in the Sudan and neighbouring countries for over six months and started its return migration on 27 April 2008.

Four hundred forty-eight blood plasma samples from free-living birds of prey from Berlin and the Brandenburg area in eastern Germany were tested for antibodies against Newcastle disease virus (NDV), falcon herpesvirus (FHV), owl herpesvirus (OHV), and Chlamydia psittaci. Antibodies to NDV were detected in 6 (2%) of 346 tested diurnal birds of prey, whereas none of the owls (n = 55) was positive. The positive samples originated from two common buzzards (Buteo buteo), three ospreys (Pandion haliactus) and one marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus). Titers varied between 1:8 and 1:32. Of 253 birds of prey one osprey (<1%) tested positive for antibodies to FHV with low titer of 1:6. This is the first detection of antibodies against FHV in an osprey. Furthermore, antibodies against OHV could be found in one tawny owl (Strix aluco) and one common buzzard (2 of 253, 1%) with low titers of 1:6. Of 422 birds of prey 267 (63%) tested positive for antibodies to Chlamydia psittaci with titers varying between 1:5 and 1:256 which reflects the ubiquitous occurrence of Chlamydia psittaci in these birds of prey.

2134, Die Standardabweichung in der Bestimmung der pK&cS-Werte betragt 0,07 pK&-Einheiten (95% Sicherheitsschwelle) : vgl. s).

Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine (OC) pesticides were measured in unsuccessfully hatched eggs of three different kinds of predatory birds: 3 eggs of sparrowhawks, 7 eggs of hobbies, and 16 eggs of goshawks collected in the German region of Berlin-Brandenburg. Using toxic equivalency factors for birds, eggs of hobbies contained mean concentrations of 478 pg TEQ/g fat and 551 pg TEQ/g fat contributed by PCDD/Fs and coplanar PCBs, respectively. For sparrowhawks the respective TCDD equivalents were 424 and 1278 pg/g fat; those for goshawks were 211 and 935 pg/g fat. The mean value of the summed concentrations of the PCB congeners 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, and 180 amounted to 11 microg/g fat in eggs of hobbies, 9.5 microg/g fat for sparrowhawks, and 16.1 microg/g fat for goshawks. Of the analyzed organochlorine pesticides the concentration of p,p'-DDE was highest (up to 273 microg/g); the concentration of the other OCs, with the exception of methoxychlor in eggs of goshawks (highest level of 10.6 microg/g fat), were negligible. In all cases the calculated toxicity of the coplanar PCBs surpassed the toxicity of the PCDD/Fs, at least by a factor of two. Due to the higher concentration of the coplanar PCB 77 compared to PCB 126 in eggs of hobbies, it is concluded that its metabolic excretion in this species is much lower than in sparrowhawks and goshawks.

Generalized feather abnormalities are rarely documented in free-living birds. Pinching off syndrome (POS) is a feather abnormality in which all remiges and retrices become malformed and are lost during the nestling stage, rendering the bird unable to fly. To determine the frequency of occurrence and geographic distribution of this syndrome in white-tailed sea eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) in Europe, we sent questionnaires to ornithologists in 19 countries within the European range of this species. We also searched for reported cases of sea eagles with feather abnormalities that met the criteria of POS. Overall, 32 nestlings or fledglings with POS were identified between 1975 and 2006. The geographic distribution of cases was primarily restricted to 4 European countries: Germany (17 cases), Poland (11 cases), the Czech Republic (3 cases), and Great Britain (1 case). Eleven eagles from Germany and 2 eagles from the Czech Republic were examined clinically. In 15 birds in which sex was determined, 8 were female and 7 were male. From 2000 to 2005, the 5-year incidence of POS in white-tailed sea eagles in Germany was 3.5 cases per 1000 birds. Although the etiology of this syndrome in wild sea eagles is unknown, our results support a possible genetic cause.