Plots & Reference data for: Disrupted Natal Habitat Imprinting Triggers Long-Distance Dispersal in Captive-Bred Eagles. Ornothological Applications.

This study aim to understand how release methods affect survival and behavior of captive-bred animals. 53 Bonelli’s eagles were tracked – both wild-hatched and captive-bred birds released using two different methods, to study their movements and survival.Captive-bred eagles released far from their parents and rearing sites traveled much longer distances than wild-hatched eagles or eagles released near their rearing site, often reaching East Africa and Southern Arabia.All captive-bred eagles had lower survival than wild birds, with most deaths caused by electrocution from powerlines. The high number of powerlines near the release sites likely obscured survival differences between the long-range and short-range dispersers.These findings show that early life conditions and release strategies can shape the behavior and success of animals in the wild. This can help improve conservation efforts by guiding more effective release practices for threatened species.