The survival of the Lesser Spotted Eagle in Germany, threatened with local extinction, is dependent not only on the conditions in the breeding area but also in the passage and wintering regions. Until a few years ago data and observations from the latter were scarce. Since 1992, within the framework of a long term project by the World Working Group on Birds of Prey, 88 Lesser Spotted Eagles were tagged with satellite transmitters in order to study their migration and wintering behaviour. In parallel, in the various countries where the bird spends the winter, principally in South Africa, Namibia and Zambia, ornithologists conducted on-site studies that included the species' wintering behaviour, diet and local ecological conditions.