Ancient Lands of the Flying Emperor - Safeguarding the Eastern Imperial Eagle

Challenge

The majestic Eastern Imperial Eagle, globally threatened, faces a deadly, hidden danger across the transboundary Thracian landscape. Electrocution on uninsulated powerlines and illegal killing threaten the species' core population in Turkey, where specific conservation data and local expertise were critically low. Urgent, cross-border action was necessary to mitigate these infrastructure-related risks and prevent further decline of this shared trans-border population.

Objective

The project aimed to safeguard the Eastern Imperial Eagle by mitigating direct threats and fostering regional stewardship by September 2025. Key objectives included: transferring Bulgarian conservation expertise to Turkish stakeholders, identifying specific threat hotspots through monitoring and surveys, establishing a formal Emergency Species Action Plan and initiating lobbying efforts, and increasing public awareness through targeted education and media.

Approach

The strategy leveraged 14 years of Bulgarian expertise of Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/BirdLife Bulgaria to initiate conservation in the core Thracian population area in Turkey. The plan focused on:

• Conducting joint field monitoring, expanding the known nest count, and surveying over 175 km of hazardous powerlines to map risks.
• Capacity building for DOKU staff, three local trainees, and the local electricity operator (TREDAŞ Director, İzzet Kumlu).
• Developing and presenting a formal Emergency Species Action Plan to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
• Public engagement via an eleven-minute documentary film, school presentations, and targeted hunter training sessions.

Achieved Results

The project successfully strengthened the regional conservation framework and knowledge base. Achievements include documenting 78 eagle territories: exceeding survey targets by assessing over 175 km of powerlines and recording 83 bird fatalities. Crucially, the team catalysed an unplanned but essential formal cooperation protocol involving the electricity company (TREDAŞ), Trakya University, and National Parks, paving the way for systemic change. A comprehensive Action Plan and an 11-minute documentary were finalized, providing a durable roadmap and visual narrative for the species' future.