SummaryNatal dispersal and philopatry have rarely been studied in tropical forest raptors. Especially with respect to endangered species with fragmented distributions more knowledge of dispersal and age-related habitat preferences is needed for proper management. We conducted an island-wide study on age-related habitat preferences of the endangered Javan Hawk-eagle (Spizaetus bartelsi), Indonesia's national bird. The Javan Hawk-eagle is a true forest eagle, but is occasionally observed in non-forested areas. On the basis of 95 visual encounters in 50 localities in the period 1980-2002, we established that there were no agerelated differences in geographical, altitudinal or climatic distribution. In habitat preferences, however, juveniles and immatures are proportionally more often recorded in open and disturbed habitats than adults, which seem to have a greater preference for evergreen forest. These results indicate that the prime habitat for adult Javan Hawk-eagles is evergreen forest and to a lesser degree secondary forest, with juveniles dispersing out of their natal territory into different habitat types, including seemingly unsuitable types. In their habitat choice, imrnatures tend to be more similar to adults than to juveniles, which is an indication that their dispersal takes place into habitats that are more suitable for establishing a breeding territory.Key words: Falconiformes, Spizaetus bartelsi, habitat preferences, philopatry, raptors. often zeigte keine altersbedingten Unterschiede in der geographischen, h6henbedingten oder klimatischen Verbreitung, wies aber dagegen auf eine unterschiedliche Habitatwahl juveniler und subadulter Adler bin. Diese wurden signifikant h~iufiger in offenen und degradierten Gebieten beobachtet, wShrend die adulten Tiere eine st~irkere Pr~iferenz ftir geschlossene Regenwaldgebiete aufwiesen. Die Fortpflanzung des Javaadlers findet meist im Regenwald statt, und die frisch ansgeflogen Tiere zeigen ~ihnliche Habitatvorlieben wie die Adulti. Dies best~itigt, dass der Regenwald den primSxen Lebensraum des Javaadlers darstellt und die Jungtiere sich in andere, darunter auch anscheinend weniger geeignete, Habitate ausbreiten. Die subadulten Tiere zeigen dagegen Habitatpr~iferenzen, die st~irker an die der Altv6gel erinnern als an die der Juvenilen. Dies weist m6glicherweise darauf bin, dass sie in dieser Lebensphase bereits Bereiche suchen, die als Brntterritorium geeignet sind.
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