Ukraine war forced eagles to change migration route
Ukraine war forced eagles to change migration route
Scientists believe they avoided perils including artillery fire on their way to their traditional breeding ground.
Eagles changed their migration routes across Ukraine to avoid fighting and because their habitats were likely damaged or destroyed by war, say scientists.
The researchers believe the Greater Spotted Eagles skirted around dangers including artillery fire, jets and tanks as well as buildups of troops.
They fly through Ukraine every Spring on their way from Greece and The Sudd - a large wetland in South Sudan - to breeding grounds in Belarus.
The scientists studied GPS data from tagged birds in the months after the February 2022 invasion, a time of heavy fighting in northern Ukraine as Russia tried to take Kyiv by sending troops south from Belarus.