Spanish Imperial Eagle Impregnation Success: Big Pics

Aug. 16, 2011 —You may not know it from looking at this tiny hatchling, but the imperial eagle has been a symbol of power, beauty and independence by governments and religious organizations since as far back as the Holy Roman Empire.

Today, however, this chick is the poster child for conservation biology. Maria Ariam, as she has been named, is the first successful offspring born from artificial insemination of a Spanish imperial eagle – a critically endangered species of which only 283 pairs remain in the wild.

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Maria Ariam was born on May 7, 2011 after 42 days of incubation. Researchers waited several months to announce their success in order to ensure the chick was healthy and after verifying a paternity test matched the donor bird they had used.

Imperial eagles, the ones often commemorated on flags, crests, currency, and coats of arms are actually two different species: the Eastern imperial eagle and the Spanish imperial eagle. Eastern imperial eagles are native to Europe and parts of Asia. The Spanish imperial eagle, however, was determined to be a distinct and separate species, living only in parts of Spain and Portugal.

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Habitat loss, poisoning, and most notably electrocution have led to their decline. The No. 1 cause of unnatural mortality to the Spanish imperial eagle is electrocution. The birds get electrocuted when they land and take off on power lines or poles, according to rehabilitation centers such as the Castilla-La Mancha project, which is dedicated to treating and housing birds whose injuries prevent release.

And while natural breeding for these injured birds may be impossible, they can often still be used for other genetic purposes, including artificial insemination. Researchers at the Centro de Estudios de Rapaces Ibéricas in Toledo, Spain spent more than 17 years working toward successful artificial insemination, including a method of collecting and preserving sperm.

The studies have also been helpful in determining and deterring other causes of mortality in the already endangered species, including preventing West Nile Virus and heavy metal poisoning.

Source: Smithsonian National Zoo, Photo: Dr. Juan Manuel Blanco Portillo