{"id":2190167,"date":"2026-03-06T18:00:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T17:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2190167"},"modified":"2026-03-05T19:31:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T18:31:36","slug":"no-trees-no-food-shot-for-fun-yet-serbias-imperial-eagles-are-making-an-improbable-return","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/no-trees-no-food-shot-for-fun-yet-serbias-imperial-eagles-are-making-an-improbable-return\/","title":{"rendered":"No trees, no food, shot for fun \u2026 yet Serbia\u2019s imperial eagles are making an improbable return"},"content":{"rendered":"

A<\/span>t the start of every spring, before the trees in northern Serbia begin to leaf out, ornithologists drive across the plains of Vojvodina. They check old nesting sites of eastern imperial eagles, scan solitary trees along field margins, and search for signs of new nests.<\/p>\n

For years, the work of the Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia (BPSSS) has been getting more demanding \u2013 and more rewarding. In 2017, Serbia was down to a single breeding pair. Last year, BPSSS recorded\u00a019 breeding pairs, 10 of which successfully raised young.<\/p>\n

Driving through Vojvodina, vast fields stretch to the horizon, crisscrossed by straight farm tracks. As agriculture intensified, oaks and poplars were cut down to straighten fields and maximise yields. It made Vojvodina one of Europe\u2019s\u00a0least forested\u00a0regions. In some municipalities, tree cover drops\u00a0below 1%. \u201cYou can drive here for an hour and a half and not see a single tree taller than five metres,\u201d says Milan Ru\u017ei\u0107, executive director of BPSSS. \u201cEven if an eagle wants to return, the question is: to which tree?\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Aerial<\/picture>