Abstract
Due to the richness of information provided by GPS beacons, their use is spreading. However, their potential impact needs to be evaluated. Here, we compare the survival of Bonelli’s eagles of the French population equipped vs not equipped. We use follow-up data from territorial adults over the period 2006 - 2020. By means of a specifically developed capture-recapture model that accounts for multiple marking (metal bands, colour bands, and GPS beacon), their potential loss, and the occasional retooling of eagles when physically captured (new marks set to replace lost or deteriorated ones), we get an estimate of 0.90 annual survival for equipped individuals vs 0.92 for the others. The difference is not significant. We discuss potential biases and conclude that carrying a beacon has probably no or very little impact on Bonelli’s eagle survival.