Aims: Booted eagle Hieraaetus pennatus is a recent colonization species in Catalonia. There is an incipient population in this region since lastest 1980´s. Reproductive parameters was studied and compared with those obtained in the Tiétar valley (traditional breeding country in central Spain).
Location: Central Catalonia (north-east Spain).
Methods: Central Catalonia and Tiétar valley reproductive parameters were statistical compared by Student t test. Central Catalonia laying dates was correlated with mean rainfall and number of rainy days during pre-laying period and reproductive parameters (clutch size, hatchlings and mortality) with meteorological variables (mean rainfall and rainy days number) during all reproductive phases.
Results: For central Catalonia population no relationships were found between laying date and rainfall during pre-laying period. No differences were found for all studied reproduction parameters related with weather in several reproduction phases. A comparison of these results showed a higher productivity as Tiétar valley population (central Spain).
Conclusions: The higher breeding success of central Catalonia population than Tiétar valley population is probably due that Booted Eagle is density-dependent. Central Catalonia population is an incipient population that still has not reached regular breeding densities in occupied habitat, being lower than Tiétar valley breeding density. However, to a certain extent Booted Eagle breeding success is also probable conditioned for local climatic and topographic peculiarity.
