Tõnn hatched in year 2008 on the nest in western Estonia
Tõnn on the nest before ringing. Photo Urmas Sellis
In 7th August 2008 he was ringed(white plastic ring 7F )and equipped with transmitter
By DNA test he was verified as pure GSE as well as his mother Iti, also well known for our forum, who was equipped with transmitter in year 2009.
In year 2010 Tõnn´s home-nest was known as only place where both, female and male were GSE. It exists till now and Iti has had several offsprings.
Tõnn started his first migration in 25th September 2008, crossed several countries and stopped for wintering in Spain, El Hondo wetlands which has been his wintering place till now.
As rare species in Estonia and other countries he excited great interest among ornithologists in countries he visited during migration. In total he has visited 15 countries. There spent winter and left his wintering grounds on April 13th and got himself moving in a northern direction. So the eagle visited also Nederlands and directed by the sea - moved towards to homeland. But Estonia was not a destination for Tõnn - he flew to Finland and spent all the summer near Vaasa (western Finland). On second fall migration Tõnn stopped also in southern Estonia, during a harvesting of crops. Afterwards moved again to Spain, crossing a Switzerland as a new country for him. Third summer Tõnn spent mostly in Sweden and used migration route directly over Danish straits.
Tõnn at El Hondo wetlands, 21st March 2015 (Photo Jana Marco)
Migration 2008 - 2014
After 2014 transmitter stopped working but we knew that Tõnn was alive and well from several places he was spotted.
In spring 2016 during the spring camp member of Eagle Club Renno Nellis found a breeding Greater Spotted Eagle in Harjumaa county and for surprise with transmitter on back. To get information about the tagged male eagle, Eagle Club members caught it in the beginning of September and it appeared to be our old fellow Tõnn. So Tõnn started to breed either in 2015 (then not in the same place, because there was nesting Lesser Spotted Eagle in 2015) or rather in 2016 and was also successful. A mate of Tõnn has no rings, therefore we don't know her origin.
Old transmitter was removed and as there wasn´t damages on the skin, new refurbished transmitter of Ecotone production was installed.
Tõnn got also new white ring with code 7X.
As Tõnn is so popular all over Europe, Eagle Club decided to install webcam on his nest this year.
He started his journey home on 22th March 2017 and arrived on the nest 4th April at 15.00.
Greater spotted eagle (Clanga clanga, earlier Aquila clanga)
Greater Spotted Eagles are large migratory raptors that live across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and parts of Africa.They occupy lowland forest and forest edges near wet areas, including meadows, bogs, and marshes, along with river-valley woodland.
They are complete long-distance migrants, they winter in the Middle East, Southern Europe, Central and Southern Africa. The migration to Africa and back takes place mainly via the Bosporus Strait, the Middle East and the Nile Valley.
The greater spotted eagle arrives in Estonia at the end of March and leave in September, but individual birds can still be sighted in October.
Population is classified as vulnerable to extinction The suspected population numbers fewer than 10,000 mature individuals 2500–6600 pairs. There are appreciably 10 – 20 pairs in Estonia but half of them probably mixed pairs with LSE
The primary threats are habit degradation and habitat loss, human disturbance and
hybridization between GSE and Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina ) Description
Length: 59–71cm
Wingspan: 157–179cm (another source 130-180)
Tail: 23–27 cm
Weight : male 1.7-1.9 kg , female 1.8-2.5 kg up to 3.2kg
Colour: very similar in general to its closest relative the lesser spotted eagle, which shares part of its range. Adult has dark brown with slightly paler flight feathers. Underwing-coverts generally darker than flight feathers. Bands of white spots across upper-wing of juveniles.
Diet and Hunting:
Greater Spotted Eagles eat frogs, snakes and lizards, waterfowl, fish, insects, carrion, and small mammals up to the size of hares.
They hunt in flight, from a perch, or on the ground. They also steal food from other raptors, including other Greater Spotted Eagles Nesting
GSE usually construct their nests themselves and inhabit them repeatedly on subsequent years, especially if not disturbed. Occasionally they use the old nests of other larger birds of prey (the common buzzard, the northern goshawk) or of the black stork.
Lays 1–3 eggs in a tree nest. As a rule only one eaglet survives because of cainism.
2. April – Tõnn arrived
3. April - Tiiu arrived
23. April – first egg
27. April – second egg
2. June – first chick hatched
5. June - second chick hatched
14. June – second chick died
4. July – members gave name Tuule to older eaglet
The end of July – we didn´t see first flight as cam was off
The nest was empty since about 5. September but voices were still heard around
Tõnn started autumn migration 01.10.2019
Good morning! I watch the stream from the Tõnn's nest at the link http://pontu.eenet.ee/player/konnakotkas.html I watch the broadcast on the laptop, but unfortunately, I can not rewind back quickly and without hanging. Is there a more convenient stream with the ability to rewind and rewind events? (Sorry for my English!)
juta wrote: ↑April 1st, 2019, 8:33 am
Hello Tatyana!
If I understand you well, then there is no rewind function unless it goes on Youtube, but if it will be there we don´t know.
Thank you very much for your response! I would very much like to stream was on YouTube
sova wrote: ↑April 2nd, 2019, 9:31 pm
Oh come on Tönn ... halfway across Europe and then scared of camera.
I agree .... he flies across Europe against all dangers, weathers, power lines, wind parks .... and then a tiny camera in the neighboured tree blows him from the nest