Spacing of Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos nests in relation to nest site and food availability

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Abstract
A regular nest spacing of Golden Eagle pairs was found in every carefully searched area within the species range in Sweden. The spacing regularity of nests used by pairs in forests (mostly tree‐nesting) was similar to that in mountain areas (cliff‐nesting), indicating that regular nest spacing is affected more by spacing behaviour than by shortage of nest sites. Distances to nearest neighbours were shorter in the mountain region (mean distance 102 km) than in the forests (170) of northern Sweden. Densities of the most important prey species for Golden Eagle were apparently higher in the mountains than in the forests. Differences in topography and habitat diversity between the two regions may also have contributed to the difference in breeding density.