An unusual case of adoption of a golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) chick in the Mala Fatra Mountains, Northwestern Slovakia

Published source details Kornan M., Majda M., Macek M. & Kornan J. (2003) An unusual case of adoption of a golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) chick in the Mala Fatra Mountains, Northwestern Slovakia. Journal of Raptor Research, 37, 259-260.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Foster eggs or chicks of raptors with wild conspecifics Action Link
	Artificially incubate and hand-rear raptors in captivity Action Link

Foster eggs or chicks of raptors with wild conspecifics

A replicated study in pine forests in Slovakia in summers between 1993 and 2000 (Kornan et al. 2003) found that golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos chicks removed from nests with two chicks, hand-reared or fostered in captivity and then fostered by wild conspecifics were successfully raised 74% of the time (of 35 fostering attempts). Failures were due to siblicide, predation or unknown causes. Without fostering, second chicks in eagle nests are frequently killed by siblings. In 2000 a chick was removed from a nest with two chicks in and initially placed in the nest used by the foster parents that year. However the parents ignored the chick, so it was moved to a nest used in previous years, 690 m away. Once in the second nest, the chick was fed and cared for. The authors suggest that the second nest was more obvious and so the parent eagles could see the foster chick more easily.
Artificially incubate and hand-rear raptors in captivity

A replicated study in pine forests in Slovakia in summers between 1993 and 2000 (Kornan et al. 2003) found that golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos chicks removed from nests with two chicks, hand-reared or fostered in captivity and then fostered by wild conspecifics were successfully raised 74% of the time (of 35 fostering attempts). This study is discussed in detail in ‘Foster eggs or chicks with wild conspecifics’.