Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

In situ monitoring of raptor breeding ecology with field personnel is costly, difficult and demanding. Installing camera traps in raptor nests can provide researchers with diverse information and long-term monitoring. Furthermore, it allows for relatively cheap data collection. However, comparisons between camera traps and other methods are important to allow comparisons of results between different studies.
This thesis aims to investigate the potential of camera traps to monitor Golden Eagle breeding phenology and explore what events are suitable for quantifying with cameras. Data from 54 cameras, each monitoring one unique Golden Eagle breeding, was used. Nine of these cameras monitored the nest for almost a full year. With this dataset I was able to estimate all chosen phenological events, only using photographs from the camera traps.
My results show comparable estimates with established facts for Sweden and previous studies from other countries. This demonstrates the potential of this technology to be used for ecological studies of breeding raptors.