Background The eastern imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca) is a globally threatened Eurasian bird species, with a world population of only a few thousand breeding pairs. Hungary is home to the largest population in the EU – in 2010, 62% of the species were found in the country including 117 nesting pairs. Since the 1980’s, the population is slowly increasing in Hungary, but this small population is still vulnerable and far from stable due to the limited number and quality of available habitats. The favourable conservation status of the imperial eagle in Hungary is seriously threatened by the exponential increase in deliberate killings (poisoning began in 2005, and shooting is also a problem). A total of 54 imperial eagles are believed to have been killed in the past few years (23.1% of the national and 14.2% of the EU breeding population in 2010). Besides imperial eagles, 932 other protected birds of 20 different species were found to have been poisoned in Hungary in the past ten years (on average less than 15% of all poison deaths are reported). Such killings threaten to reverse the positive population trend of the imperial eagle in Hungary and in neighbouring countries. Objectives The main objective of the project is to maintain the increasing population trend of the eastern imperial eagle in Hungary by significantly reducing non-natural mortality rates. The project specifically aims to: Reduce the adverse effects of deliberate killings (for the imperial eagle) by setting up a veterinary system and best-practice protocol, satellite tracking, nest guarding at key Natura 2000 sites (SPAs), the provision of safe feeding places and the construction of artificial nests; Increase the chance of detecting illegal activities and imposing criminal sentences. The project will conduct field surveys, set up a hot-line, create a bird-crime database, establish a protocol for investigating incidents, set up an anti-bird-crime action group, and educate stakeholders; Increase stakeholder awareness about the overestimated impact of raptor species on game populations and about alternative eagle-friendly game management methods; Increase public awareness about the importance of imperial eagle conservation and about the possible consequences of persecution incidents through the drawing up and implementation of a communication plan, the establishment of information events/points, the creation of a visitor centre and educational trail, the use of online cameras, and the construction of notice boards. These measures will be applied in the whole territory of Hungary and in selected SPAs. Expected results: The Hungarian breeding population of eastern imperial eagles should increase by more 20% during the project period and reach more than 140 breeding pairs by 2016; The number of deaths due to persecution should decrease and the annual number of affected birds should be less than five a year on average by the last years of the project; The annual mortality rate of breeding imperial eagles should be less than 20% by the end of the project; The average breeding success of imperial eagles should be above one fledgling per breeding pair during the project period; Rehabilitation of injured specimens should have a greater than 30% success rate during the project period (including five or more rehabilitated birds); Serious sentences should be imposed and advertised following bird-crime investigations carried out during the project; The project should appear in more than one thousand national media reports (with the public reached on more than 10 million occasions). More than two million people should visit the project exhibitions in Hungarian Zoos; more than a million people should visit the project website; the project films should be seen by more than two million people; and the Imperial Eagle Visitor Centre and education trail should be visited by more than 2 500 people.