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Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany, in collaboration with the Swiss Ornithological Institute in Switzerland and the University of Vienna in Austria, investigated how young golden eagles improve their flight skills as they age.

Their results, published in eLife, show that as golden eagles improve their flying skills, they become able to explore a broader area within their range in the central European Alps. Apparently, even seemingly instinctive behaviors require at least some learning in young animals.

Golden eagles are soaring birds. They ride on upward-moving air currents with open wings, which helps them conserve energy while covering large distances. "However, locating these invisible uplifts and positioning their bodies within the uplifts to gain height is not a simple task. The eagles literally need to learn to fly, at least when it comes to using uplifts," explains Elham Nourani, the lead author of the study.

The team used GPS tracking technology to monitor 55 juvenile golden eagles from nests in Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Slovenia, and Austria. The eagles were tracked for up to three years after leaving their parents' territories, as they flew freely across the central European Alps.

Increased habitat

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