The Amboseli ecosystem is one of the most biodiverse landscapes in East Africa, home to more than 500 recorded bird species, ranging from nectar-sipping sunbirds to snake-stomping secretary birds. This remarkable richness is part of what makes Amboseli so iconic. Yet, with such a concentration of life, there is still much to learn.
Raptors provide a compelling example. Birds of prey play a critical role in regulating populations of rodents, reptiles, and other small animals, helping to maintain ecological balance. Due to their sensitivity to environmental change, they also serve as important indicators of ecosystem health. When raptors thrive, it often signals a resilient and functioning landscape. Improving our understanding of these species strengthens our ability to protect the habitats they depend on, as well as the many other species that share them.
Recently, we were pleased to support an operation led by Vasco Nyaga, a scientist with the Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) and a PhD student at Wageningen University and Research, in collaboration with experts from the Kenya Bird of Prey Trust and the Kenya Wildlife Service. The team successfully tagged one juvenile and one subadult Martial Eagle.
Martial Eagles are among Africa’s largest eagles, powerful and wide-ranging hunters that require extensive territories to survive. Despite their size and strength, their populations are declining across much of the continent due to habitat loss and human disturbance and they are now listed as Endangered.
By gaining insights into their movements, particularly those of dispersing young birds which can cover tens of thousands of square kilometers, we can better identify and protect critical habitats, mitigate threats, and inform long-term conservation planning across the Amboseli landscape and beyond.
Every transmitter deployed, every data point collected, and every partnership formed brings us closer to understanding and safeguarding this extraordinary ecosystem and its biodiversity.
📸: Kenya Bird of Prey Trust
