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Cortés-Díaz D, Buitrago-Torres DL, Restrepo-Cardona JS, Estellés-Domingo I, López-López P. Bridging Evolutionary History and Conservation of New World Vultures. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3175. [PMID: 37893899 PMCID: PMC10603630 DOI: 10.3390/ani13203175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The New World Vultures (Cathartidae) include seven species of obligate scavengers that, despite their ecological relevance, present critical information gaps around their evolutionary history and conservation. Insights into their phylogenetic relationships in recent years has enabled the addressing of such information gaps through approaches based on phylogeny. We reconstructed the ancestral area in America of the current species using two regionalization schemes and methods: Biogeography with Bayesian Evolutionary Analysis (BioGeoBears) and Bayesian Binary Model-Monte Carlo Markov Chains (BBM-MCMC). Then, we identified the priority species and areas for conservation by means of the Evolutionary Distinctiveness index (ED), as a proxy of the uniqueness of species according to phylogeny, and the Global Endangerment index (GE), mapping phylogenetic diversity. We found that the ancestral area of New World Vultures in America corresponds to South America, with dispersal processes that led to a recolonization of North America by Coragyps atratus, Gymnogyps californianus and Cathartes aura. We identified the Black Vulture, G. californianus and Vultur gryphus as priority species based on ED and "Evolutionary Distinct Globally Endangered" (EDGE) indexes, and the lowlands of Amazon River basin and the Orinoco basin and some tributaries areas of the Guiana Shield were identified as the priority areas when mapping the phylogenetic diversity. This study highlights the importance of filling knowledge gaps of species of conservation concern through the integration of evolutionary and ecological information and tools and, thus, developing adequate strategies to enhance the preservation of these species in the face of the current loss of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Cortés-Díaz
- Semillero de Investigación en Ecología y Conservación, Universidad de La Salle, Bogotá 110151, Colombia;
| | | | - Juan Sebastián Restrepo-Cardona
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
- Fundación Cóndor Andino—Ecuador, Quito 170143, Ecuador
| | - Irene Estellés-Domingo
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, C/Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain;
| | - Pascual López-López
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, C/Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain;
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2
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Estellés-Domingo I, López-López P. Non-Invasive Sex Determination of Nestlings and Adult Bonelli's Eagles Using Morphometrics. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13071201. [PMID: 37048457 PMCID: PMC10093107 DOI: 10.3390/ani13071201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Biometric analysis allows the sexing of most vertebrates, particularly birds. Birds of prey, and, especially, the Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata), show reverse sexual dimorphism (i.e., females are usually larger than males). In contrast to blood sampling, the use of morphometrics allows sex determination using a non-invasive method, and, therefore, it facilitates fieldwork. By means of a linear discriminant analysis of biometric variables, we obtained different equations that allow the sexing of nestlings and adult Bonelli's eagles. We sampled 137 Bonelli's eagles, 82 nestlings and 55 adults in eastern Spain during the period 2015-2022. The sexes obtained after linear discriminant analysis were compared with their molecular sexing. The validation procedure of the linear discriminant equations facilitated the reduction of the number of variables used and, consequently, optimised working time and sexing accuracy. After validation, some equations showed a 100% sexing efficiency for Bonelli's eagles, particularly for adults. Our results showed that the variables with smaller overlap between the sexes were the lateral tarsus length and dorso-ventral tarsus length, particularly in nestlings. The rest of the variables showed some overlap between the sexes in both age classes. The results we obtained enable the sexing of juvenile and adult Bonelli's eagles in the field using just these two measurements. Hence, this is an easy, accurate, quick and non-invasive method with multiple applications, including in studies on population dynamics, survival analysis or extinction risk assessments, which, ultimately, could contribute to the improvement of the conservation status of this endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Estellés-Domingo
- Movement Ecology Lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, C/Catedrático José Beltrán 2, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Pascual López-López
- Movement Ecology Lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, C/Catedrático José Beltrán 2, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
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3
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López-López P. Potential negative effects of the installation of video surveillance cameras in raptors' nests. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21969. [PMID: 36539507 PMCID: PMC9768126 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26153-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Video surveillance cameras installed on birds' nests are a cost-effective tool to study many aspects of ecology and behaviour that would otherwise be practically impossible to obtain. However, although most studies report neutral effects of cameras on birds, very few studies analyse in detail the potential negative effects of their use, particularly on raptors. Here, using a long-term database of a population of Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata) collected from 2000 to 2022, I show how the inappropriate use of video surveillance cameras could result in negative effects on the reproduction of a threatened species through a before-and-after control-impact study design. Pairs under video surveillance showed lower productivity, lower breeding success and unusual delayed laying dates. The installation of cameras close to the laying date, coinciding with the mating phase of individuals, most of them subadult inexperienced birds; in combination to the reiteration of visits to the nests once the cameras were installed to check the system, particularly during the incubation period and early stages of breeding; and the installation of cameras in a particular area subject to constant human disturbance, might explain these results. Potential management actions to mitigate the effect of the installation of video cameras on birds' behaviour should include the need to plan the intervention dates, testing the systems beforehand under controlled conditions and adequate post-installation monitoring to avoid unnecessary disturbance to animals. Finally, I urge the scientific community to report the potential negative effects observed in their studies, especially if the target species are threatened with extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascual López-López
- grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XMovement Ecology Lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, C/Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia Spain
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4
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Vidal-Mateo J, Benavent-Corai J, López-López P, García-Ripollés C, Mellone U, De la Puente J, Bermejo A, Urios V. Search Foraging Strategies of Migratory Raptors Under Different Environmental Conditions. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.666238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have shown in different organisms how their movements can be fitted to different patterns to optimize search of food resources. According to abundance and availability of resources, different strategies will be optimal, such as Lévy and Brownian random search. We analyze the movement patterns of four species of migratory raptors with different degrees of ecological specialization in diet during the breeding and wintering periods to evaluate the differences according to species and season: the Egyptian Vulture, the Short-toed Snake Eagle, the Booted Eagle, and the Red Kite. From GPS locations, we obtained a set of segments and lengths that were analyzed to verify their fitting to the functions of Lévy and Brownian strategies. Egyptian Vulture’s trajectories fitted to both patterns during the breeding period, whereas during the wintering period most trajectories fitted a Brownian pattern. In the case of the Short-toed Eagle, fit was greater to a Lévy strategy throughout the year, while Booted Eagles and Red Kites exhibited a combination of search patterns. These differences could be accounted for different feeding strategies and environmental context over the annual cycle. In species with a specialized diet (i.e., Short-toed Eagle) the Lévy pattern would maximize the encounters with scarce and unpredictable resources, whereas for species with a broad trophic niche (i.e., Booted Eagle and Red Kite), movements could be adapted to exploit different resources according to their abundance. Scavengers like the Egyptian Vulture shift also between search strategies according to the distribution of carrion. Therefore, the analysis of food search patterns can be used as an indirect indicator to track changes in food availability across a broad range of environmental conditions. This is particularly important under the current context of global change which is largely expected to affect migratory species that spend their vital cycle in distant areas.
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López-López P, Sarmiento-Franco LA, Santos-Ricalde R. Effect of stocking density on performance, infection by Eimeria spp., intestinal lesions and foot pad injuries in broilers with outdoor access under tropical conditions. Br Poult Sci 2021; 63:108-114. [PMID: 34404284 DOI: 10.1080/00071668.2021.1966749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
1. The study was carried out to evaluate the effect of stocking density on performance, litter moisture, Eimeria oocyst shedding, intestinal and foot lesions in broilers.2. A total of 192 1-d-old male Cobb broilers were distributed with three different stocking densities (6, 8 or 10 chickens/m2) with outdoor access and eight replicates in a completely randomised design over two periods. Productive parameters were measured from 3 to 7 weeks of age.3. Oocyst counts (OPG) in both excreta and litter were performed at 3, 4 and 5 weeks of age. Intestinal and foot pad lesions were evaluated at 7 weeks old. The stocking density of 6 birds/m2 had the highest body weights (P < 0.05) (2129 ± 37.67, 2759 ± 50.82 and 3167 ± 75.64 g at weeks 5, 6 and 7 of age, respectively).4. Feed intake decreased with increasing stocking density at week 3 (r = -0.57), 4 (r = -0.48), 5 (r = -0.84), 6 (r = -0.68) and 7 (r = -0.65) of age (P < 0.05). Birds with stocking densities of 8 and 10/m2 consumed, respectively, up to 11% and 19.5% less feed than the lower stocking density groups.5. Stocking density affected (P < 0.05) feed conversion (1.61, 1.49 and 1.46) and litter moisture (40.88, 52.60 and 56.19%) at 3 weeks of age. Neither carcase yield nor mortality was different between densities (P > 0.05). Likewise, there was no effect of stocking density on OPG neither in excreta nor in litter, intestinal lesions, or foot pad and hock injuries (P > 0.05).6. In conclusion, the higher stocking density decreased both the feed intake and the live weight in broilers, but there were no effects in the number of Eimeria OPG in excreta or litter, neither intestinal lesions nor in foot pad injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- P López-López
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan, Merida, Mexico
| | - L A Sarmiento-Franco
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan, Merida, Mexico
| | - R Santos-Ricalde
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan, Merida, Mexico
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6
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Buechley ER, Oppel S, Efrat R, Phipps WL, Carbonell Alanís I, Álvarez E, Andreotti A, Arkumarev V, Berger-Tal O, Bermejo Bermejo A, Bounas A, Ceccolini G, Cenerini A, Dobrev V, Duriez O, García J, García-Ripollés C, Galán M, Gil A, Giraud L, Hatzofe O, Iglesias-Lebrija JJ, Karyakin I, Kobierzycki E, Kret E, Loercher F, López-López P, Miller Y, Mueller T, Nikolov SC, de la Puente J, Sapir N, Saravia V, Şekercioğlu ÇH, Sillett TS, Tavares J, Urios V, Marra PP. Differential survival throughout the full annual cycle of a migratory bird presents a life-history trade-off. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1228-1238. [PMID: 33786863 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Long-distance migrations are among the most physically demanding feats animals perform. Understanding the potential costs and benefits of such behaviour is a fundamental question in ecology and evolution. A hypothetical cost of migration should be outweighed by higher productivity and/or higher annual survival, but few studies on migratory species have been able to directly quantify patterns of survival throughout the full annual cycle and across the majority of a species' range. Here, we use telemetry data from 220 migratory Egyptian vultures Neophron percnopterus, tracked for 3,186 bird months and across approximately 70% of the species' global distribution, to test for differences in survival throughout the annual cycle. We estimated monthly survival probability relative to migration and latitude using a multi-event capture-recapture model in a Bayesian framework that accounted for age, origin, subpopulation and the uncertainty of classifying fates from tracking data. We found lower survival during migration compared to stationary periods (β = -0.816; 95% credible interval: -1.290 to -0.318) and higher survival on non-breeding grounds at southern latitudes (<25°N; β = 0.664; 0.076-1.319) compared to on breeding grounds. Survival was also higher for individuals originating from Western Europe (β = 0.664; 0.110-1.330) as compared to further east in Europe and Asia, and improved with age (β = 0.030; 0.020-0.042). Anthropogenic mortalities accounted for half of the mortalities with a known cause and occurred mainly in northern latitudes. Many juveniles drowned in the Mediterranean Sea on their first autumn migration while there were few confirmed mortalities in the Sahara Desert, indicating that migration barriers are likely species-specific. Our study advances the understanding of important fitness trade-offs associated with long-distance migration. We conclude that there is lower survival associated with migration, but that this may be offset by higher non-breeding survival at lower latitudes. We found more human-caused mortality farther north, and suggest that increasing anthropogenic mortality could disrupt the delicate migration trade-off balance. Research to investigate further potential benefits of migration (e.g. differential productivity across latitudes) could clarify how migration evolved and how migrants may persist in a rapidly changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan R Buechley
- Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, Washington, DC, USA.,HawkWatch International, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Steffen Oppel
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ron Efrat
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | | | | | - Ernesto Álvarez
- GREFA (Grupo para la Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autóctona y su Hábitat) Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alessandro Andreotti
- Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Ozzano Emilia, Italy
| | - Volen Arkumarev
- Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/BirdLife Bulgaria, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Oded Berger-Tal
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | | | - Anastasios Bounas
- Hellenic Ornithological Society/BirdLife Greece - Themistokleous 80, Athens, Greece
| | - Guido Ceccolini
- Association CERM Centro Rapaci Minacciati, Rocchette di Fazio (GR), Italy
| | - Anna Cenerini
- Association CERM Centro Rapaci Minacciati, Rocchette di Fazio (GR), Italy
| | - Vladimir Dobrev
- Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/BirdLife Bulgaria, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Olivier Duriez
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valery Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Javier García
- Department of Biodiversity and Environmental Management, University of León, León, Spain
| | | | - Manuel Galán
- GREFA (Grupo para la Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autóctona y su Hábitat) Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Gil
- GREFA (Grupo para la Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autóctona y su Hábitat) Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lea Giraud
- Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux, Site Grands Causses, Peyreleau, France
| | - Ohad Hatzofe
- Science Division, Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | | | - Erik Kobierzycki
- Nature en Occitanie, Coordination Technique Plan National d' Actions Vautour Percnoptère, Bruges, France
| | | | | | - Pascual López-López
- Movement Ecology Lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Paterna, Spain
| | - Ygal Miller
- Science Division, Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Thomas Mueller
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department of Biological Sciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stoyan C Nikolov
- Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/BirdLife Bulgaria, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | | | - Nir Sapir
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Victoria Saravia
- Hellenic Ornithological Society/BirdLife Greece - Themistokleous 80, Athens, Greece
| | - Çağan H Şekercioğlu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,College of Sciences, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey.,KuzeyDoğa Derneği, Kars, Turkey
| | | | - José Tavares
- Vulture Conservation Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Vicente Urios
- Vertebrate Zoology Research Group, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Peter P Marra
- Department of Biology and McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
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7
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López-López P, Perona AM, Egea-Casas O, Morant J, Urios V. Tri-axial accelerometry shows differences in energy expenditure and parental effort throughout the breeding season in long-lived raptors. Curr Zool 2021; 68:57-67. [PMID: 35169629 PMCID: PMC8836325 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Cutting-edge technologies are extremely useful to develop new workflows in studying ecological data, particularly to understand animal behavior and movement trajectories at the individual level. Although parental care is a well-studied phenomenon, most studies have been focused on direct observational or video recording data, as well as experimental manipulation. Therefore, what happens out of our sight still remains unknown. Using high-frequency GPS/GSM dataloggers and tri-axial accelerometers we monitored 25 Bonelli’s eagles Aquila fasciata during the breeding season to understand parental activities from a broader perspective. We used recursive data, measured as number of visits and residence time, to reveal nest attendance patterns of biparental care with role specialization between sexes. Accelerometry data interpreted as the overall dynamic body acceleration, a proxy of energy expenditure, showed strong differences in parental effort throughout the breeding season and between sexes. Thereby, males increased substantially their energetic requirements, due to the increased workload, while females spent most of the time on the nest. Furthermore, during critical phases of the breeding season, a low percentage of suitable hunting spots in eagles’ territories led them to increase their ranging behavior in order to find food, with important consequences in energy consumption and mortality risk. Our results highlight the crucial role of males in raptor species exhibiting biparental care. Finally, we exemplify how biologging technologies are an adequate and objective method to study parental care in raptors as well as to get deeper insight into breeding ecology of birds in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascual López-López
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia. C/Catedrático José, Beltrán 2, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Arturo M Perona
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia. C/Catedrático José, Beltrán 2, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Olga Egea-Casas
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia. C/Catedrático José, Beltrán 2, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Jon Morant
- Department of Ornithology, Aranzadi Sciences Society, Donostia-S. Sebastián, Guipúzcoa 03690, Spain
| | - Vicente Urios
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, University of Alicante, Apdo. 99, Alicante E-03080, Spain
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8
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Morant J, Abad-Gómez JM, Álvarez T, Sánchez Á, Zuberogoitia I, López-López P. Winter movement patterns of a globally endangered avian scavenger in south-western Europe. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17690. [PMID: 33077857 PMCID: PMC7572415 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74333-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Partial migration, whereby some individuals migrate and some do not, is relatively common and widespread among animals. Switching between migration tactics (from migratory to resident or vice versa) occurs at individual and population levels. Here, we describe for the first time the movement ecology of the largest wintering population of Egyptian Vultures (Neophron percnopterus) in south-west Europe. We combined field surveys and GPS tracking data from December to February during four wintering seasons (2014–2018). The wintering population consisted on average of 85 individuals (range 58–121; 76% adults and 24% subadults). Individuals were counted at five different roosting sites located near farms, unauthorized carcass deposition sites and authorized carcass deposition sites. Our results show that vultures tend to remain close to the roosting site. Moreover, we observed that females exhibited smaller home range sizes than males, which suggests a possible differential use of food sources. Overall, birds relied more on farms than other available food resources, particularly subadult individuals which exploited more intensively these sites. Our results showed that Egyptian Vultures congregate in significant numbers at specific sites throughout the winter period in south-west Spain and that these roosting and feeding sites should be given some level of legal protection and regular monitoring. Furthermore, predictable food sources might be driving the apparent increase in the non-migratory population of Egyptian Vultures, as observed in other avian species which are also changing their migratory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Morant
- Department of Ornithology, Aranzadi Sciences Society, Zorroagagaina 11, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.
| | - José María Abad-Gómez
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, 06006, Badajoz, Spain.,Servicio de Conservación de la Naturaleza y Áreas Protegidas, Junta de Extremadura, Av/ luis Ramallo s/n, 06800, Mérida, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Toribio Álvarez
- Servicio de Conservación de la Naturaleza y Áreas Protegidas, Junta de Extremadura, Av/ luis Ramallo s/n, 06800, Mérida, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Ángel Sánchez
- Servicio de Conservación de la Naturaleza y Áreas Protegidas, Junta de Extremadura, Av/ luis Ramallo s/n, 06800, Mérida, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Iñigo Zuberogoitia
- Department of Ornithology, Aranzadi Sciences Society, Zorroagagaina 11, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.,Estudios Medioambientales Icarus S.L, C/San Vicente 8, 6 ª Planta, Dpto 8, Edificio Albia I, 48001, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Pascual López-López
- Movement Ecology Lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, C/ Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
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9
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Phipps WL, López-López P, Buechley ER, Oppel S, Álvarez E, Arkumarev V, Bekmansurov R, Berger-Tal O, Bermejo A, Bounas A, Alanís IC, de la Puente J, Dobrev V, Duriez O, Efrat R, Fréchet G, García J, Galán M, García-Ripollés C, Gil A, Iglesias-Lebrija JJ, Jambas J, Karyakin IV, Kobierzycki E, Kret E, Loercher F, Monteiro A, Morant Etxebarria J, Nikolov SC, Pereira J, Peške L, Ponchon C, Realinho E, Saravia V, Sekercioğlu CH, Skartsi T, Tavares J, Teodósio J, Urios V, Vallverdú N. Spatial and Temporal Variability in Migration of a Soaring Raptor Across Three Continents. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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10
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Di Vittorio M, Lo Valvo M, Di Trapani E, Sanguinetti A, Ciaccio A, Grenci S, Zafarana M, Giacalone G, Patti N, Cacopardi S, Rannisi P, Scuderi A, Luiselli L, La Grua G, Cortone G, Merlino S, Falci A, Spinella G, López-López P. Long-term changes in the breeding period diet of Bonelli. Wildl Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1071/wr18081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
Dietary analyses are essential to achieve a better understanding of animal ecology. In the case of endangered species, assessing dietary requirements is crucial to improve their management and conservation. The Bonelli’s eagle (Aquila fasciata) has experienced a severe decline throughout its breeding range in Europe and, in Italy, fewer than 50 pairs remain, and only in Sicily. This species is subject to major threats, including changes in landscape composition and, consequently, prey availability, which is further aggravated by the occurrence of viral diseases in the case of rabbits.
Aims
To provide current data on the diet of the Bonelli’s eagle in Sicily during the breeding period and to examine dietary shifts with regard to previous studies conducted in the same study area. To discuss possible implications for conservation of the Italian population of this endangered species.
Methods
We used a combination of three methods, including pellet analysis, collection of prey remains, and imagery from camera-traps installed at nests, to examine the diet of 12 breeding pairs of Bonelli’s eagle from 2011 to 2017. We compared this information with data collected between 1993 and 1998 in the same study area.
Key results
In number, birds were the most frequently predated items (61.6%), followed by mammals (36.88%) and reptiles (1.52%). However, in terms of biomass, mammals were the main prey (65.71%), followed by birds (34.12%) and reptiles (0.17%). There was a decrease over the course of the current decade in the consumption of European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), which was compensated for with an increase in both dietary diversity and breadth in bird consumption, a trend not observed in the earlier study in the same region.
Conclusions
Here, we provide an updated assessment of diet composition of Bonelli’s eagle during the breeding period. Interestingly, we found significant differences within the study period (2011–2017) in terms of frequency of occurrence, percentage of biomass, dietary diversity and dietary breadth in a species at risk. Furthermore, we found significant differences between the two study periods in both frequency and percentage of biomass, with significant changes in the consumption of lagomorphs and birds.
Implications
Our results indicated that shifts in the diet are linked to changes in prey abundance, which may be contributing to population declines in the Bonelli’s eagle population in Sicily. Overall, measures aimed at increasing main dietary prey should be promoted to favour occupation of new territories and enhance vital demographic parameters (i.e. breeding success and survival rate) of Bonelli’s eagle across the species range. This would be particularly important for small isolated populations such as the Sicilian one.
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11
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Tucker MA, Böhning-Gaese K, Fagan WF, Fryxell JM, Van Moorter B, Alberts SC, Ali AH, Allen AM, Attias N, Avgar T, Bartlam-Brooks H, Bayarbaatar B, Belant JL, Bertassoni A, Beyer D, Bidner L, van Beest FM, Blake S, Blaum N, Bracis C, Brown D, de Bruyn PJN, Cagnacci F, Calabrese JM, Camilo-Alves C, Chamaillé-Jammes S, Chiaradia A, Davidson SC, Dennis T, DeStefano S, Diefenbach D, Douglas-Hamilton I, Fennessy J, Fichtel C, Fiedler W, Fischer C, Fischhoff I, Fleming CH, Ford AT, Fritz SA, Gehr B, Goheen JR, Gurarie E, Hebblewhite M, Heurich M, Hewison AJM, Hof C, Hurme E, Isbell LA, Janssen R, Jeltsch F, Kaczensky P, Kane A, Kappeler PM, Kauffman M, Kays R, Kimuyu D, Koch F, Kranstauber B, LaPoint S, Leimgruber P, Linnell JDC, López-López P, Markham AC, Mattisson J, Medici EP, Mellone U, Merrill E, de Miranda Mourão G, Morato RG, Morellet N, Morrison TA, Díaz-Muñoz SL, Mysterud A, Nandintsetseg D, Nathan R, Niamir A, Odden J, O'Hara RB, Oliveira-Santos LGR, Olson KA, Patterson BD, Cunha de Paula R, Pedrotti L, Reineking B, Rimmler M, Rogers TL, Rolandsen CM, Rosenberry CS, Rubenstein DI, Safi K, Saïd S, Sapir N, Sawyer H, Schmidt NM, Selva N, Sergiel A, Shiilegdamba E, Silva JP, Singh N, Solberg EJ, Spiegel O, Strand O, Sundaresan S, Ullmann W, Voigt U, Wall J, Wattles D, Wikelski M, Wilmers CC, Wilson JW, Wittemyer G, Zięba F, Zwijacz-Kozica T, Mueller T. Moving in the Anthropocene: Global reductions in terrestrial mammalian movements. Science 2018; 359:466-469. [PMID: 29371471 DOI: 10.1126/science.aam9712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 481] [Impact Index Per Article: 80.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Animal movement is fundamental for ecosystem functioning and species survival, yet the effects of the anthropogenic footprint on animal movements have not been estimated across species. Using a unique GPS-tracking database of 803 individuals across 57 species, we found that movements of mammals in areas with a comparatively high human footprint were on average one-half to one-third the extent of their movements in areas with a low human footprint. We attribute this reduction to behavioral changes of individual animals and to the exclusion of species with long-range movements from areas with higher human impact. Global loss of vagility alters a key ecological trait of animals that affects not only population persistence but also ecosystem processes such as predator-prey interactions, nutrient cycling, and disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlee A Tucker
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany. .,Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Katrin Böhning-Gaese
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany.,Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - William F Fagan
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.,SESYNC, University of Maryland, Annapolis, MD 21401, USA
| | - John M Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Bram Van Moorter
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgard, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Departments of Biology and Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | | | - Andrew M Allen
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå 90183, Sweden.,Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology, Radboud University, 6500GL Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Nina Attias
- Ecology and Conservation Graduate Program, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Tal Avgar
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Hattie Bartlam-Brooks
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London NW1 0TU, UK
| | | | - Jerrold L Belant
- Carnivore Ecology Laboratory, Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi State University, Box 9690, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Alessandra Bertassoni
- Animal Biology Postgraduate Program, São Paulo State University, São José do Rio Preto, SP 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Dean Beyer
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, 1990 U.S. 41 South, Marquette, MI 49855, USA
| | - Laura Bidner
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | | | - Stephen Blake
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany.,Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
| | - Niels Blaum
- University of Potsdam, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Chloe Bracis
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany.,Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Danielle Brown
- Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, USA
| | - P J Nico de Bruyn
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all'Adige (TN), Italy.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Justin M Calabrese
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.,Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Constança Camilo-Alves
- Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, 7002-554 Évora, Portugal.,ICAAM-Institute of Mediterranean Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Simon Chamaillé-Jammes
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier-EPHE, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Andre Chiaradia
- Phillip Island Nature Parks, Victoria, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah C Davidson
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Todd Dennis
- Department of Biology, Fiji National University, P.O. Box 5529, Natabua, Lautoka, Fiji Islands
| | - Stephen DeStefano
- U.S. Geological Survey, Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Duane Diefenbach
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Iain Douglas-Hamilton
- Save the Elephants, P.O. Box 54667, Nairobi 00200, Kenya.,Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Julian Fennessy
- Giraffe Conservation Foundation, P.O. Box 86099, Eros, Namibia
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- German Primate Center, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Fiedler
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Christina Fischer
- Restoration Ecology, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technische Universität München, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Ilya Fischhoff
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12545, USA
| | - Christen H Fleming
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.,Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Adam T Ford
- Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences, Unit 2: Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Susanne A Fritz
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany.,Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Benedikt Gehr
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jacob R Goheen
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Eliezer Gurarie
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.,School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Marco Heurich
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Department of Conservation and Research, 94481 Grafenau, Germany.,Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Christian Hof
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Edward Hurme
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Lynne A Isbell
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.,Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - René Janssen
- Bionet Natuuronderzoek, 6171EL Stein, Netherlands
| | - Florian Jeltsch
- University of Potsdam, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Petra Kaczensky
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgard, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway.,Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, A-1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Adam Kane
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Peter M Kappeler
- German Primate Center, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Matthew Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Roland Kays
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA.,Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Duncan Kimuyu
- Department of Natural Resource Management, Karatina University, P.O. Box 1957-10101, Karatina, Kenya
| | - Flavia Koch
- German Primate Center, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Bart Kranstauber
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Scott LaPoint
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany.,Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
| | - Peter Leimgruber
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - John D C Linnell
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgard, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Pascual López-López
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Terrestrial Vertebrates Group, University of Valencia, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - A Catherine Markham
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Jenny Mattisson
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgard, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Emilia Patricia Medici
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) Tapir Specialist Group (TSG), Rua Licuala, 622, Damha 1, Campo Grande, CEP: 79046-150, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.,IPÊ (Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas; Institute for Ecological Research), Caixa Postal 47, Nazaré Paulista, CEP: 12960-000, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ugo Mellone
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Evelyn Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Ronaldo G Morato
- National Research Center for Carnivores Conservation, Chico Mendes Institute for the Conservation of Biodiversity, Atibaia-SP 12952-011, Brazil
| | | | - Thomas A Morrison
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Samuel L Díaz-Muñoz
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Atle Mysterud
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Dejid Nandintsetseg
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany.,Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Ran Nathan
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Aidin Niamir
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - John Odden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Robert B O'Hara
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany.,Department of Mathematical Sciences and Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Kirk A Olson
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Mongolia Program, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Bruce D Patterson
- Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
| | - Rogerio Cunha de Paula
- National Research Center for Carnivores Conservation, Chico Mendes Institute for the Conservation of Biodiversity, Atibaia-SP 12952-011, Brazil
| | - Luca Pedrotti
- Consorzio Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio, Bormio (Sondrio), Italy
| | - Björn Reineking
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Irstea, UR LESSEM, BP 76, 38402 St-Martin-d'Hères, France.,University of Bayreuth, BayCEER, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | | | - Tracey L Rogers
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Christer Moe Rolandsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgard, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Daniel I Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Kamran Safi
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Sonia Saïd
- Directorate of Studies and Expertise (DRE), Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Montfort, 01330 Birieux, France
| | - Nir Sapir
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, 3498838 Haifa, Israel
| | - Hall Sawyer
- Western Ecosystems Technology Inc., Laramie, WY 82070, USA
| | - Niels Martin Schmidt
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.,Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Nuria Selva
- Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-120 Krakow, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Sergiel
- Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-120 Krakow, Poland
| | | | - João Paulo Silva
- REN Biodiversity Chair, CIBIO/InBIO Associate Laboratory, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal.,Centre for Applied Ecology "Prof. Baeta Neves"/InBIO Associate Laboratory, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal.,Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Navinder Singh
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå 90183, Sweden
| | - Erling J Solberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgard, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Orr Spiegel
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Olav Strand
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, P.O. Box 5685 Torgard, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Wiebke Ullmann
- University of Potsdam, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ulrich Voigt
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover-Foundation, 30173 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jake Wall
- Save the Elephants, P.O. Box 54667, Nairobi 00200, Kenya
| | - David Wattles
- U.S. Geological Survey, Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Christopher C Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - John W Wilson
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - George Wittemyer
- Save the Elephants, P.O. Box 54667, Nairobi 00200, Kenya.,Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Filip Zięba
- Tatra National Park, 34-500 Zakopane, Poland
| | | | - Thomas Mueller
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany. .,Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany.,Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA, USA
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12
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Cecere JG, Panuccio M, Ghiurghi A, Urbano F, Imperio S, Celada C, López-López P. Snake species richness predicts breeding distribution of short-toed snake eagle in central Italy. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2017.1323800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo G. Cecere
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Ca’ Fornacetta 9, Ozzano dell’Emilia (Bologna), Italy
- LIPU – Conservation Department, Via Udine 3/A, Parma, Italy
| | - Michele Panuccio
- MEDRAPTORS (Mediterranean Raptor Migration Network), c/o Michele Panuccio, Via Mario Fioretti 18, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Simona Imperio
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR) – Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, Via G. Moruzzi 1, Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudio Celada
- LIPU – Conservation Department, Via Udine 3/A, Parma, Italy
| | - Pascual López-López
- University of Valencia, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Terrestrial Vertebrates Group, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
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13
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Di Vittorio M, Rannisi G, Di Trapani E, Falci A, Ciaccio A, Rocco M, Giacalone G, Zafarana M, Grenci S, La Grua G, Scuderi A, Palazzolo F, Cacopardi S, Luiselli L, Merlino S, Lo Valvo M, López-López P. Positive demographic effects of nest surveillance campaigns to counter illegal harvest of the Bonelli's eagle in Sicily (Italy). Anim Conserv 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Di Vittorio
- Gruppo Tutela Rapaci Sicilia; Pedara CT Italy
- Ecologia Applicata Italia srl; Termini Imerese PA Italy
| | - G. Rannisi
- Gruppo Tutela Rapaci Sicilia; Pedara CT Italy
| | - E. Di Trapani
- Gruppo Tutela Rapaci Sicilia; Pedara CT Italy
- Cooperativa Silene; Palermo Italy
| | - A. Falci
- Gruppo Tutela Rapaci Sicilia; Pedara CT Italy
| | - A. Ciaccio
- Gruppo Tutela Rapaci Sicilia; Pedara CT Italy
| | | | - G. Giacalone
- Gruppo Tutela Rapaci Sicilia; Pedara CT Italy
- Cooperativa Silene; Palermo Italy
| | - M. Zafarana
- Gruppo Tutela Rapaci Sicilia; Pedara CT Italy
| | - S. Grenci
- Gruppo Tutela Rapaci Sicilia; Pedara CT Italy
| | - G. La Grua
- Gruppo Tutela Rapaci Sicilia; Pedara CT Italy
| | - A. Scuderi
- Gruppo Tutela Rapaci Sicilia; Pedara CT Italy
| | | | | | - L. Luiselli
- IDECC - Institute for Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation; Rome Italy
- Niger Delta Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Unit; Department of Applied and Environmental Biology; Rivers State University of Science and Technology; Port Harcourt Nigeria
| | - S. Merlino
- Gruppo Tutela Rapaci Sicilia; Pedara CT Italy
| | - M. Lo Valvo
- Laboratorio di Zoologia applicata; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche; University of Palermo; Palermo Italy
| | - P. López-López
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology; University of Valencia; Paterna Spain
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14
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Kassara C, Gangoso L, Mellone U, Piasevoli G, Hadjikyriakou TG, Tsiopelas N, Giokas S, López-López P, Urios V, Figuerola J, Silva R, Bouten W, Kirschel ANG, Virani MZ, Fiedler W, Berthold P, Gschweng M. Current and future suitability of wintering grounds for a long-distance migratory raptor. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8798. [PMID: 28821735 PMCID: PMC5562895 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08753-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Conservation of migratory species faces the challenge of understanding the ecological requirements of individuals living in two geographically separated regions. In some cases, the entire population of widely distributed species congregates at relatively small wintering areas and hence, these areas become a priority for the species’ conservation. Satellite telemetry allows fine tracking of animal movements and distribution in those less known, often remote areas. Through integrating satellite and GPS data from five separated populations comprising most of the breeding range, we created a wide habitat suitability model for the Eleonora’s falcon on its wintering grounds in Madagascar. On this basis, we further investigated, for the first time, the impact of climate change on the future suitability of the species’ wintering areas. Eleonora’s falcons are mainly distributed in the north and along the east of Madagascar, exhibiting strong site fidelity over years. The current species’ distribution pattern is associated with climatic factors, which are likely related to food availability. The extent of suitable areas for Eleonora’s falcon is expected to increase in the future. The integration of habitat use information and climatic projections may provide insights on the consequences of global environmental changes for the long-term persistence of migratory species populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Kassara
- Department of Biology, University of Patras, GR-26500, Patras, Greece.
| | - Laura Gangoso
- Computational Geo-Ecology Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ugo Mellone
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, CIBIO Research Inst., University of Alicante, ES-03690, San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
| | - Gvido Piasevoli
- Public Institute for the Protected Natural Values Management in the County of Split and Dalmatia, Prilaz braće Kaliterna 10, HR-21000, Split, Croatia
| | | | - Nikos Tsiopelas
- Hellenic Ornithological Society, Themistokleous str. 80, 10681, Athens, Greece
| | - Sinos Giokas
- Department of Biology, University of Patras, GR-26500, Patras, Greece
| | - Pascual López-López
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, C/Catedrático José Beltrán 2, ES-46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Vicente Urios
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, CIBIO Research Inst., University of Alicante, ES-03690, San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, 41092, Seville, Spain
| | - Rafa Silva
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, 41092, Seville, Spain
| | - Willem Bouten
- Computational Geo-Ecology Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Munir Z Virani
- The Peregrine Fund, 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, Idaho, 83709, USA
| | - Wolfgang Fiedler
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, D-78315, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Peter Berthold
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, D-78315, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Marion Gschweng
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, D-78315, Radolfzell, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89069, Ulm, Germany.,Concepts for Conservation, Schäferweg 6, 89143, Blaubeuren, Germany
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López-López P, Martínez-López MC, Boldo-León XM, Hernández-Díaz Y, González-Castro TB, Tovilla-Zárate CA, Luna-Arias JP. Detection and differentiation of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar in clinical samples through PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 50:e5997. [PMID: 28380216 PMCID: PMC5423754 DOI: 10.1590/1414-431x20175997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Amebiasis is one of the twenty major causes of disease in Mexico; however, the diagnosis is difficult due to limitations of conventional microscopy-based techniques. In this study, we analyzed stool samples using polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) to differentiate between Entamoeba histolytica (pathogenic) and E. dispar (non-pathogenic). The target for the PCR amplification was a small region (228 bp) of the adh112 gene selected to increase the sensitivity of the test. The study involved 62 stool samples that were collected from individuals with complaints of gastrointestinal discomfort. Of the 62 samples, 10 (16.1%) were positive for E. histolytica while 52 (83.9%) were negative. No sample was positive for E. dispar. These results were validated by nested PCR-RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) and suggest that PCR-DGGE is a promising tool to differentiate among Entamoeba infections, contributing to determine the specific treatment for patients infected with E. histolytica, and therefore, avoiding unnecessary treatment of patients infected with the non-pathogenic E. dispar.
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Affiliation(s)
- P López-López
- Family Medicine Unit 43, Social Security Mexican Institute, Cardenas, Tabasco, Mexico
| | - M C Martínez-López
- Health Sciences Academic Division, Juarez Autonomous University of Tabasco, Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico
| | - X M Boldo-León
- Health Sciences Academic Division, Juarez Autonomous University of Tabasco, Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico
| | - Y Hernández-Díaz
- Multidisciplinary Academic Division at Jalpa de Mendez, Juarez Autonomous University of Tabasco, Jalpa de Mendez, Tabasco, Mexico
| | - T B González-Castro
- Multidisciplinary Academic Division at Jalpa de Mendez, Juarez Autonomous University of Tabasco, Jalpa de Mendez, Tabasco, Mexico
| | - C A Tovilla-Zárate
- Multidisciplinary Academic Division at Comalcalco, Juarez Autonomous University of Tabasco, Comalcalco, Tabasco, Mexico
| | - J P Luna-Arias
- Center for Research and Advanced Studies, National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City, Mexico
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Gómez-Serrano MÁ, López-López P. Deceiving predators: linking distraction behavior with nest survival in a ground-nesting bird. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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17
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Vidal-Mateo J, Mellone U, López-López P, La Puente JD, García-Ripollés C, Bermejo A, Urios V. Wind effects on the migration routes of trans-Saharan soaring raptors: geographical, seasonal, and interspecific variation. Curr Zool 2016; 62:89-97. [PMID: 29491895 PMCID: PMC5804231 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Wind is among the most important environmental factors shaping birds' migration patterns. Birds must deal with the displacement caused by crosswinds and their behavior can vary according to different factors such as flight mode, migratory season, experience, and distance to goal areas. Here we analyze the relationship between wind and migratory movements of three raptor species which migrate by soaring-gliding flight: Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus, booted eagle Aquila pennata, and short-toed snake eagle Circaetus gallicus. We analyzed daily migratory segments (i.e., the path joining consecutive roosting locations) using data recorded by GPS satellite telemetry. Daily movements of Egyptian vultures and booted eagles were significantly affected by tailwinds during both autumn and spring migrations. In contrast, daily movements of short-toed eagles were only significantly affected by tailwinds during autumn migration. The effect of crosswinds was significant in all cases. Interestingly, Egyptian vultures and booted eagles showed latitudinal differences in their behavior: both species compensated more frequently at the onset of autumn migration and, at the end of the season when reaching their wintering areas, the proportion of drift segments was higher. In contrast, there was a higher drift at the onset of spring migration and a higher compensation at the end. Our results highlight the effect of wind patterns on the migratory routes of soaring raptors, with different outcomes in relation to species, season, and latitude, ultimately shaping the loop migration patterns that current tracking techniques are showing to be widespread in many long distance migrants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Vidal-Mateo
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, University of Alicante, Apdo. 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain and
| | - Ugo Mellone
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, University of Alicante, Apdo. 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain and
| | - Pascual López-López
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, University of Alicante, Apdo. 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain and
| | - Javier De La Puente
- SEO/BirdLife, Área de Estudio y Seguimiento de Aves, C/ Melquiades Biencinto, 34, E-28053, Madrid, Spain
| | - Clara García-Ripollés
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, University of Alicante, Apdo. 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain and
| | - Ana Bermejo
- SEO/BirdLife, Área de Estudio y Seguimiento de Aves, C/ Melquiades Biencinto, 34, E-28053, Madrid, Spain
| | - Vicente Urios
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, University of Alicante, Apdo. 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain and
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Mellone U, Limiñana R, López-López P, Urios V. Regional and age-dependent differences in the effect of wind on the migratory routes of Eleonora’s falcon. Curr Zool 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/czoolo/61.3.428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
During migration, birds can show different responses to wind in relation to distance to the goal, experience, ecological barriers and visibility of landmarks. We analysed the effect of wind (tailwinds and crosswinds) on daily movement rates (forward and perpendicular) of Eleonora’s falcons using ARGOS satellite telemetry, during their trans-continental autumn migration to Madagascar, in relation to the different crossed regions and individuals’ age class. Our results showed that the effect of wind on daily movement rates was not uniform, being stronger in the farthest region from the migration goal, the Sahara desert, with adults being more affected than juveniles in this region. In the Sahel, the results were more conflicting, perhaps because daily movements were more shaped by the distribution of food resources. In Equatorial Africa, daily movement rates were mainly affected by crosswinds. Still, it remains unclear which orientation mechanism allows Eleonora’s falcons to reach such a narrow wintering area compensating also for wind displacement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo Mellone
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, University of Alicante, Apdo. 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
| | - Rubén Limiñana
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, University of Alicante, Apdo. 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
| | - Pascual López-López
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, University of Alicante, Apdo. 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
| | - Vicente Urios
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, University of Alicante, Apdo. 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
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Gutiérrez-López R, Gangoso L, Martínez-de la Puente J, Fric J, López-López P, Mailleux M, Muñoz J, Touati L, Samraoui B, Figuerola J. Low prevalence of blood parasites in a long-distance migratory raptor: the importance of host habitat. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:189. [PMID: 25889120 PMCID: PMC4381668 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0802-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The low prevalence of blood parasites in some bird species may be related to the habitats they frequent, the inexistence of the right host-parasite assemblage or the immunological capacity of the host. Here, we assess the parasite load of breeding populations of Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae), a medium-sized long-distance migratory raptor that breeds on small isolated islets throughout the Mediterranean basin and overwinters in inland Madagascar. METHODS We examined the prevalence and genetic diversity of the blood parasites belonging to the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon in Eleonora's falcon nestlings from five colonies and in adults from two colonies from nesting sites distributed throughout most of the species' breeding range. RESULTS None of the 282 nestlings analysed were infected by blood parasites; on the other hand, the lineages of Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon were all found to infect adults. Our results support the idea of no local transmission of vector-borne parasites in marine habitats. Adult Eleonora's falcons thus may be infected by parasites when on migration or in their wintering areas. CONCLUSION The characteristics of marine environments with a lack of appropriate vectors may thus be the key factor determining the absence of local transmission of blood parasites. By comparing the parasite lineages isolated in this species with those previously found in other birds we were able to infer the most likely areas for the transmission of the various parasite lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Gutiérrez-López
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio, s/n, E-41092, Seville, Spain.
| | - Laura Gangoso
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio, s/n, E-41092, Seville, Spain.
| | | | - Jakob Fric
- Hellenic Ornithological Society, Themistokleous str. 80, 10681, Athens, Greece.
| | - Pascual López-López
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, University of Alicante, E-03080, Alicante, Spain.
| | - Mélanie Mailleux
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio, s/n, E-41092, Seville, Spain.
| | - Joaquín Muñoz
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio, s/n, E-41092, Seville, Spain.
| | - Laïd Touati
- Biology and Ecology Department, University of Constantine, 25017, Constantine, Algeria.
| | - Boudjema Samraoui
- Laboratoire de Recherche et de Conservation des Zones Humides, University of Guelma, 24000, Guelma, Algeria. .,Centre of Excellence for Research in Biodiversity, King Saud University, 12643, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio, s/n, E-41092, Seville, Spain.
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López-López P, García-Ripollés C, Urios V. Individual repeatability in timing and spatial flexibility of migration routes of trans-Saharan migratory raptors. Curr Zool 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/czoolo/60.5.642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Satellite-tracking technology has allowed scientists to make a quantum leap in the field of migration ecology. Nowadays, the basic description of migratory routes of many species of birds has been reported. However, the investigation of bird migration at individual level (i.e. repeatability in migratory routes and timing) still remains seldom explored. Here, we investigated repeated migratory trips of a trans-Saharan endangered migratory raptor, the Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus, tracked by GPS satellite telemetry. We compared between- and within-individual variation in migratory routes and timing in order to assess the degree of repeatability (or conversely, the flexibility) in migration. To this end, we analysed a dataset of 48 trips (23 springs and 25 autumns) recorded for six adult birds during 2007-2013. Our results showed consistent migration timing at the individual level, both in spring and autumn. Interestingly, there was a high degree of flexibility in the routes followed by the same individual in different years, probably due to variations in meteorological conditions. Contrary to expectations of a faster migration in spring than in autumn owing to a time-minimization strategy for breeding, birds spent less time in autumn migration (13 ± 2 days, range = 9–18 d) than in spring migration (19 ± 3 days, range = 13–26 d), which can be explained by differences in environmental conditions en route. Egyptian vultures showed a consistent clockwise loop migration through western Africa, following more easterly routes in autumn than in spring. Finally, our results provide supporting evidence of low phenotypic plasticity in timing of migration (i.e. strong endogenous control of migration) and high flexibility in routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascual López-López
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, CIBIO Research Institute, University of Alicante, Edificio Ciencias III, Apdo. 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
| | - Clara García-Ripollés
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, CIBIO Research Institute, University of Alicante, Edificio Ciencias III, Apdo. 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
| | - Vicente Urios
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, CIBIO Research Institute, University of Alicante, Edificio Ciencias III, Apdo. 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
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Gómez-Serrano MÁ, López-López P. Nest site selection by Kentish plover suggests a trade-off between nest-crypsis and predator detection strategies. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107121. [PMID: 25208045 PMCID: PMC4160202 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 08/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Predation is one of the main causes of adult mortality and breeding failure for ground-nesting birds. Micro-habitat structure around nests plays a critical role in minimizing predation risk. Plovers nest in sites with little vegetation cover to maximize the incubating adult visibility, but many studies suggest a trade-off between nest-crypsis and predator detection strategies. However, this trade-off has not been explored in detail because methods used so far do not allow estimating the visibility with regards to critical factors such as slope or plant permeability to vision. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Kentish plovers select exposed sites according to a predator detection strategy, and the hypothesis that more concealed nests survive longer according to a crypsis strategy. To this end, we obtained an accurate estimation of the incubating adult's field of vision through a custom built inverted periscope. Our results showed that plovers selected nest sites with higher visibility than control points randomly selected with regards to humans and dogs, although nests located in sites with higher vegetation cover survived longer. In addition, the flushing distance (i.e., the distance at which incubating adults leave the nest when they detect a potential predator) decreased with vegetation cover. Consequently, the advantages of concealing the nest were limited by the ability to detect predators, thus indirectly supporting the existence of the trade-off between crypsis and predator detection. Finally, human disturbance also constrained nest choice, forcing plovers to move to inland sites that were less suitable because of higher vegetation cover, and modulated flushing behavior, since plovers that were habituated to humans left their nests closer to potential predators. This constraint on the width of suitable breeding habitat is particularly relevant for the conservation of Kentish Plover in sand beaches, especially under the current context of coastal regression and increase of recreational activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Ángel Gómez-Serrano
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, CIBIO Research Institute, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Pascual López-López
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, CIBIO Research Institute, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
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López-López P, García-Ripollés C, Urios V. Food predictability determines space use of endangered vultures: implications for management of supplementary feeding. Ecol Appl 2014; 24:938-49. [PMID: 25154088 DOI: 10.1890/13-2000.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Understanding space use of free-living endangered animals is key to informing management decisions for conservation planning. Like most scavengers, vultures have evolved under a context of unpredictability of food resources (i.e., exploiting scattered carcasses that are intermittently available). However, the role of predictable sources of food in shaping spatial ecology of vultures has seldom been studied in detail. Here, we quantify the home range of the Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), a long-lived raptor that has experienced severe population decline throughout its range and is qualified as endangered worldwide. To this end, six adults were tracked by satellite telemetry in Spain during the breeding season, from 2007 to 2012, recording 10360 GPS locations. Using Resource Utilization Functions, we assessed the topology of the Utilization Distribution, a three-dimensional measure that shows the probability of finding an animal within the home range. Our results showed how food availability, and principally, how food predictability, determines ranging behavior of this species. Egyptian Vultures showed consistent site fidelity across years, measured as the two- and three-dimensional overlap in their home ranges. Space use varied considerably within the home range and remarkably, places located far from nesting sites were used more frequently than some areas located closer. Therefore, traditional conservation measures based on establishing restrictive rules within a fixed radius around nesting sites could be biologically meaningless if other areas within the home range are not protected too. Finally, our results emphasize the importance of anthropogenic predictable sources of food (mainly vulture restaurants) in shaping the space use of scavengers, which is in agreement with recent findings. Hence, measures aimed at ensuring food availability are essential to preserve this endangered vulture, especially in the present context of limiting carrion dumping in the field due to sanitary regulations according to European legislation.
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Zuberogoitia I, Zabala J, Martínez JE, González-Oreja JA, López-López P. Effective conservation measures to mitigate the impact of human disturbances on the endangered Egyptian vulture. Anim Conserv 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - J. Zabala
- Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology; Faculty of Science and Technology, UPV/EHU; Leioa Bizkaia Spain
| | - J. E. Martínez
- Bonelli's Eagle Study and Conservation Group; Murcia Spain
| | | | - P. López-López
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group; CIBIO Research Institute; University of Alicante; Alicante Spain
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Gangoso L, López-López P, Grande JM, Mellone U, Limiñana R, Urios V, Ferrer M. Ecological specialization to fluctuating resources prevents long-distance migratory raptors from becoming sedentary on islands. PLoS One 2013; 8:e61615. [PMID: 23626704 PMCID: PMC3634022 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Accepted: 03/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The adaptive transition between behavioral strategies, such as the shift from migratoriness to sedentariness, remains an outstanding question in evolutionary ecology. Density-dependent variation in the age of first breeding has been proposed as a feasible mechanism through which long-lived migratory birds with deferred sexual maturity should become sedentary to persist on islands. Although this pattern seems to hold for most raptors and herons, a few exceptions have been identified. One of these exceptions is the Eleonora’s falcon, a long-distance migratory bird, which shows one of the most peculiar adaptations in the timing of reproduction and food requirements among raptors. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we compiled data concerning demography, banding recoveries and satellite tracking of Eleonora’s falcons to discuss likely explanations for the exceptional behavior of this insular long-distance migratory species. Conclusions/Significance New data reveal that Eleonora’s falcons do return to the natal colonies in their first year and young birds are able to breed. However, in contrast to previous hypothesis, the highly specialized strategy of this and other ecologically similar species, as well as the virtual lack of food during winter at breeding areas prevent them from becoming sedentary on islands. Although the ultimate mechanisms underlying the process of sedentarization remain poorly understood, the evidence provided reveal the existence of important trade-offs associated with ecological specialization that may become particularly relevant in the present context of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gangoso
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Seville, Spain.
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Soutullo A, López-López P, Cortés G, Urios V, Ferrer M. Exploring juvenile golden eagles' dispersal movements at two different temporal scales. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2012.742463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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López-López P, Benavent-Corai J, García-Ripollés C, Urios V. Scavengers on the move: behavioural changes in foraging search patterns during the annual cycle. PLoS One 2013; 8:e54352. [PMID: 23372712 PMCID: PMC3553087 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2012] [Accepted: 12/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Optimal foraging theory predicts that animals will tend to maximize foraging success by optimizing search strategies. However, how organisms detect sparsely distributed food resources remains an open question. When targets are sparse and unpredictably distributed, a Lévy strategy should maximize foraging success. By contrast, when resources are abundant and regularly distributed, simple brownian random movement should be sufficient. Although very different groups of organisms exhibit Lévy motion, the shift from a Lévy to a brownian search strategy has been suggested to depend on internal and external factors such as sex, prey density, or environmental context. However, animal response at the individual level has received little attention. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We used GPS satellite-telemetry data of Egyptian vultures Neophron percnopterus to examine movement patterns at the individual level during consecutive years, with particular interest in the variations in foraging search patterns during the different periods of the annual cycle (i.e. breeding vs. non-breeding). Our results show that vultures followed a brownian search strategy in their wintering sojourn in Africa, whereas they exhibited a more complex foraging search pattern at breeding grounds in Europe, including Lévy motion. Interestingly, our results showed that individuals shifted between search strategies within the same period of the annual cycle in successive years. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Results could be primarily explained by the different environmental conditions in which foraging activities occur. However, the high degree of behavioural flexibility exhibited during the breeding period in contrast to the non-breeding period is challenging, suggesting that not only environmental conditions explain individuals' behaviour but also individuals' cognitive abilities (e.g., memory effects) could play an important role. Our results support the growing awareness about the role of behavioural flexibility at the individual level, adding new empirical evidence about how animals in general, and particularly scavengers, solve the problem of efficiently finding food resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascual López-López
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, CIBIO Research Institute, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
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Zuberogoitia I, González-Oreja JA, Martínez JE, Zabala J, Gómez I, López-López P. Foraging movements of Eurasian griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus): implications for supplementary feeding management. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-012-0687-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Mellone U, Klaassen RHG, García-Ripollés C, Limiñana R, López-López P, Pavón D, Strandberg R, Urios V, Vardakis M, Alerstam T. Interspecific comparison of the performance of soaring migrants in relation to morphology, meteorological conditions and migration strategies. PLoS One 2012; 7:e39833. [PMID: 22768314 PMCID: PMC3388085 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2012] [Accepted: 05/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Performance of migrating birds can be affected by a number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors like morphology, meteorological conditions and migration strategies. We compared travel speeds of four raptor species during their crossing of the Sahara desert. Focusing the analyses on this region allows us to compare different species under equivalent conditions in order to disentangle which factors affect migratory performance. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING We tracked raptors using GPS satellite transmitters from Sweden, Spain and Italy, and evaluated their migratory performance at both an hourly and a daily scale. Hourly data (flight speed and altitude for intervals of two hours) were analyzed in relation to time of day, species and season, and daily data (distance between roosting sites) in relation to species, season, day length and tailwind support. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Despite a clear variation in morphology, interspecific differences were generally very small, and did only arise in spring, with long-distance migrants (>5000 km: osprey and Western marsh-harrier) being faster than species that migrate shorter distances (Egyptian vulture and short-toed eagle). Our results suggest that the most important factor explaining hourly variation in flight speed is time of day, while at a daily scale, tailwind support is the most important factor explaining variation in daily distance, raising new questions about the consequences of possible future changes in worldwide wind patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo Mellone
- Estación Biológica Terra Natura, Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, CIBIO, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
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López-López P, Sarà M, Di Vittorio M. Living on the edge: assessing the extinction risk of critically endangered Bonelli's eagle in Italy. PLoS One 2012; 7:e37862. [PMID: 22662239 PMCID: PMC3360590 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2012] [Accepted: 04/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The population of Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata) has declined drastically throughout its European range due to habitat degradation and unnatural elevated mortality. There are less than 1500 breeding pairs accounted for in Europe, and the species is currently catalogued as Critically Endangered in Italy, where the 22 territories of Sicily, represent nearly 95% of the entire Italian population. However, despite national and European conservation concerns, the species currently lacks a specific conservation plan, and no previous attempts to estimate the risk of extinction have been made. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We incorporated the most updated demographic information available to assess the extinction risk of endangered Bonelli's eagle in Italy through a Population Viability Analysis. Using perturbation analyses (sensitivity and elasticity), and a combination of demographic data obtained from an assortment of independent methods, we evaluated which demographic parameters have more influence on the population's fate. We also simulated different scenarios to explore the effects of possible management actions. Our results showed that under the current conditions, Bonelli's eagle is expected to become extinct in Italy in less than 50 years. Stand-alone juvenile mortality was the most critical demographic parameter with the strongest influence on population persistence with respect to other demographic parameters. Measures aimed at either decreasing juvenile mortality, adult mortality or decreasing both juvenile and adult mortality resulted in equivalent net positive effects on population persistence (population growth rate λ>1). In contrast, changes aimed at increasing breeding success had limited positive effects on demographic trends. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our PVA provides essential information to direct the decision-making process and exposes gaps in our previous knowledge. To ensure the long-term persistence of the species in Italy, measures are urgently needed to decrease both adult mortality due to poaching and juvenile mortality due to nest plundering, the top ranking mortality causes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascual López-López
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, CIBIO, [corrected] University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
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Limiñana R, Mellone U, López-López P, Urios V. Migración e invernada del Halcón de Eleonora (Falco eleonorae Gené, 1839; falconidae): ¿qué hemos aprendido con el seguimiento por satélite? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.14198/cdbio.2012.39.01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Mellone U, López-López P, Limiñana R, Urios V. Weather conditions promote route flexibility during open ocean crossing in a long-distance migratory raptor. Int J Biometeorol 2011; 55:463-8. [PMID: 20878530 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-010-0368-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2010] [Revised: 09/10/2010] [Accepted: 09/13/2010] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Weather conditions are paramount in shaping birds' migratory routes, promoting the evolution of behavioural plasticity and allowing for adaptive decisions on when to depart or stop during migration. Here, we describe and analyze the influence of weather conditions in shaping the sea-crossing stage of the pre-breeding journey made by a long-distance migratory bird, the Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae), tracked by satellite telemetry from the wintering grounds in the Southern Hemisphere to the breeding sites in the Northern Hemisphere. As far as we know, the data presented here are the first report of repeated oceanic journeys of the same individuals in consecutive years. Our results show inter-annual variability in the routes followed by Eleonora's falcons when crossing the Strait of Mozambique, between Madagascar and eastern continental Africa. Interestingly, our observations illustrate that individuals show high behavioural plasticity and are able to change their migration route from one year to another in response to weather conditions, thus minimising the risk of long ocean crossing by selecting winds blowing towards Africa for departure and changing the routes to avoid low pressure areas en route. Our results suggest that weather conditions can really act as obstacles during migration, and thus, besides ecological barriers, the migratory behaviour of birds could also be shaped by "meteorological barriers". We briefly discuss orientation mechanisms used for navigation. Since environmental conditions during migration could cause carry-over effects, we consider that forecasting how global changes of weather patterns will shape the behaviour of migratory birds is of the utmost importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo Mellone
- Grupo de Investigación Zoología de Vertebrados, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
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López-López P, Ferrer M, Madero A, Casado E, McGrady M. Solving man-induced large-scale conservation problems: the Spanish imperial eagle and power lines. PLoS One 2011; 6:e17196. [PMID: 21399692 PMCID: PMC3047558 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2010] [Accepted: 01/24/2011] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Man-induced mortality of birds caused by electrocution with poorly-designed pylons and power lines has been reported to be an important mortality factor that could become a major cause of population decline of one of the world rarest raptors, the Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti). Consequently it has resulted in an increasing awareness of this problem amongst land managers and the public at large, as well as increased research into the distribution of electrocution events and likely mitigation measures. Methodology/Principal Findings We provide information of how mitigation measures implemented on a regional level under the conservation program of the Spanish imperial eagle have resulted in a positive shift of demographic trends in Spain. A 35 years temporal data set (1974–2009) on mortality of Spanish imperial eagle was recorded, including population censuses, and data on electrocution and non-electrocution of birds. Additional information was obtained from 32 radio-tracked young eagles and specific field surveys. Data were divided into two periods, before and after the approval of a regional regulation of power line design in 1990 which established mandatory rules aimed at minimizing or eliminating the negative impacts of power lines facilities on avian populations. Our results show how population size and the average annual percentage of population change have increased between the two periods, whereas the number of electrocuted birds has been reduced in spite of the continuous growing of the wiring network. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that solving bird electrocution is an affordable problem if political interest is shown and financial investment is made. The combination of an adequate spatial planning with a sustainable development of human infrastructures will contribute positively to the conservation of the Spanish imperial eagle and may underpin population growth and range expansion, with positive side effects on other endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascual López-López
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Terrestrial Vertebrates Group, University of Valencia, Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
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López-López P, Verdejo J, Barba E. The role of pigeon consumption in the population dynamics and breeding performance of a peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) population: conservation implications. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-008-0227-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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López-López P, García-Ripollés C, Soutullo Á, Cadahía L, Urios V. Identifying potentially suitable nesting habitat for golden eagles applied to ‘important bird areas’ design. Anim Conserv 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-1795.2006.00089.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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