Article
Ornithology
J. Lizardo Cruz-Romo, Martin Sanchez-Vilchis, Victor Sanchez-Cordero, Robert K. Murphy, Ismael Cruz-Molina, Juan J. Vargas-Velasco, Manuel Valdes-Alarcon, Brian A. Millsap
Summary: This study analyzed the movement behavior of juvenile Golden Eagles from Mexico during their first year of life using satellite telemetry data. The results suggest that their movement behavior is similar to that of nonmigratory populations elsewhere. This study provides important insights for understanding the movement dynamics and resource selection of Mexico's Golden Eagles.
JOURNAL OF RAPTOR RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Sharon A. Poessel, Brian Woodbridge, Brian W. Smith, Robert K. Murphy, Bryan E. Bedrosian, Douglas A. Bell, David Bittner, Peter H. Bloom, Ross H. Crandall, Robert Domenech, Robert N. Fisher, Patricia K. Haggerty, Steven J. Slater, Jeff A. Tracey, James W. Watson, Todd E. Katzner
Summary: Movements by animals can serve different functions and occur over a variety of spatial and temporal scales. This study investigated the nonroutine, long-distance movements of golden eagles and found that their distances traveled are influenced by the updraft potential of the landscape they encounter. The study also revealed that these movements are more frequently made by young birds in seasons other than winter and in a north-south direction.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jose M. Gil-Sanchez, Roberto C. Rodriguez-Caro, Marcos Moleon, Maria C. Martinez-Pastor, Mario Leon-Ortega, Sergio Eguia, Eva Gracia, Francisco Botella, Jose A. Sanchez-Zapata, Julia Martinez-Fernandez, M. A. Esteve-Selma, A. Gimenez
Summary: This study investigated the predation of spur-thighed tortoises by golden eagles and found that eagles showed a marked preference for adult female tortoises. This could potentially threaten the local population viability of the tortoises.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Kathy M. Hixson, Steven J. Slater, Robert N. Knight, Robert C. Lonsinger
Summary: Golden eagles are a stable or slightly declining species in North America. The resource selection patterns of subadult golden eagles in the Great Basin Desert were investigated during the summer and winter seasons. The study found that subadults preferred ridges and upper slopes, with higher elevations favored in the summer. Their selection of lower ridge density in summer was likely influenced by thermal wind currents, while higher ridge density was preferred in winter. Subadults also showed a preference for areas further from roads in summer and closer to roads and electrical transmission lines in winter, possibly due to scavenging opportunities. They selected shrublands and woodlands in both seasons, but their preference for woodlands increased during winter. Areas with infrequent fires were preferred in both seasons, while areas with frequent fires were avoided in summer but selected for in winter. These seasonal changes in resource selection suggest that subadult golden eagles adjust their habitat use to minimize competition with breeding adults during winter when resources are limited.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vincent A. Slabe, James T. Anderson, Brian A. Millsap, Jeffrey L. Cooper, Alan R. Harmata, Marco Restani, Ross H. Crandall, Barbara Bodenstein, Peter H. Bloom, Travis Booms, John Buchweitz, Renee Culver, Kim Dickerson, Robert Domenech, Ernesto Dominguez-Villegas, Daniel Driscoll, Brian W. Smith, Michael J. Lockhart, David McRuer, Tricia A. Miller, Patricia A. Ortiz, Krysta Rogers, Matt Schwarz, Natalie Turley, Brian Woodbridge, Myra E. Finkelstein, Christian A. Triana, Christopher R. DeSorbo, Todd E. Katzner
Summary: Lead poisoning is a significant issue for populations of bald and golden eagles, with unexpectedly high frequencies of chronic and acute poisoning detected. This study finds that lead poisoning suppresses population growth rates for these iconic protected species, highlighting its underappreciated importance.
Article
Zoology
A. Fernandez-Gil, J. A. Lamas, L. M. Ansola, J. Roman, M. de Gabriel Hernando, E. Revilla
Summary: Apex predators play a critical role in shaping ecosystem diversity. This study aims to understand the mechanisms driving population dynamics in these predators by examining the relationship between population density and demographic parameters. The results indicate that density does not affect reproductive parameters at the population level, but environmental factors at the territory level, such as territory size and habitat type, do influence reproductive performance.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Arzhela Hemery, Lucas Mugnier-Lavorel, Christian Itty, Olivier Duriez, Aurelien Besnard
Summary: The post-fledging dependence period (PFDP) is crucial in the lifecycle of birds, but its link with the acquisition of flight skills has been largely overlooked. A study on 84 GPS-tracked golden eagle juveniles in France revealed that the PFDP had a long but highly variable duration, averaging 177.9 (+/- 62.2) days. The PFDP consists of a phase of rapid increase in flight skills during the first 60 days after departure from the nest, followed by a plateau.
JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Megan E. Judkins, Gary W. Roemer, Brian A. Millsap, Joseph G. Barnes, Bryan E. Bedrosian, Stephen L. Clarke, Robert Domenech, Garth Herring, Myles Lamont, Brian W. Smith, Dale W. Stahlecker, Matthew J. Stuber, Wesley C. Warren, Ronald A. Van Den Bussche
Summary: We developed a custom SNP array for the golden eagle and used it to perform population genomic analysis. We identified three genetic clusters and successfully assigned individuals to specific geographic regions. This study demonstrates the utility of this SNP array for accurately assigning individuals and has implications for conservation efforts and understanding the natural population structure of the golden eagle.
CONSERVATION GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Al Harmata
Summary: The recent use of satellite-tracked platform transmitter terminals (PTTs) has provided valuable insights into the movements of Golden Eagles. This study found that attaching PTTs to the tail of adult eagles is a viable alternative to backpack harnesses, allowing for accurate tracking of their activities.
JOURNAL OF RAPTOR RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lavrentis Sidiropoulos, D. Philip Whitfield, Christos Astaras, Dimitris Vasilakis, Haralambos Alivizatos, Vassiliki Kati
Summary: Golden Eagles are resident predators in Greece, mainly feeding on tortoises during their breeding season. However, they exhibit a wider dietary range during the non-breeding season, including carrion, mammals, and birds. This study highlights the adaptability of golden eagles in adjusting their diet throughout the year. It also emphasizes the importance of conserving tortoise populations in Greece, as well as addressing land use changes and climate change that may impact the availability of their main prey.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mark Vukovich, James E. Garabedian, Stanley J. Zarnoch, John C. Kilgo
Summary: Individual identification of golden eagles using camera traps was influenced by camera height, image capture settings, and bait arrangements.
Elevated camera arrangements resulted in higher image scores and more images suitable for individual identification.
Faster frequency of image capture produced more usable images for identifying individuals and collecting data on trap days per individual.
WILDLIFE SOCIETY BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Steven J. Slater, Dustin M. Maloney, Jessica M. Taylor
Summary: Vehicle collisions are a major cause of wildlife mortality, and this study focuses on the secondary mortality of roadkill scavengers, specifically golden eagles. By monitoring golden eagle behavior and interactions with roadkill carcasses, the study provides insights into the factors influencing eagle use and flushing from vehicles. The findings suggest that managing roadkill distance to roads can both increase food availability for golden eagles and decrease the risk of eagle-vehicle strikes.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
J. David Wiens, Peter H. Bloom, Melanie C. Madden, Patrick S. Kolar, Jeff A. Tracey, Robert N. Fisher
Summary: This study used a broad-scale sampling design to investigate the status of breeding populations of golden eagles in coastal southern California. The results showed that detection rates of eagle pairs varied between years and declined with increasing forest cover at survey sites. The study also estimated the population size and provided a monitoring framework for identifying conservation priorities in urbanizing landscapes.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Sara Morollon, Vicente Urios, Pascual Lopez-Lopez
Summary: In this paper, the authors demonstrate that between 2200 and 2800 fixes are sufficient to define the territory of two long-lived resident raptors marked by GPS transmitters. This finding is valuable for movement ecology studies lacking long-term GPS data series.
JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Jorge Garcia-Macia, Javier Vidal-Mateo, Javier de la Puente, Ana Bermejo, Vicente Urios
Summary: Studies on the spatial ecology of the Red Kite during the breeding season are scarce, despite its importance in conservation. In Spain, 28 Red Kites were tagged with GPS satellite transmitters to study their movements and habitat selection during the breeding season. Females had smaller activity areas and stayed closer to the nest compared to males. Both sexes showed a preference for non-irrigated arable land, forests, scrublands, and herbaceous vegetation.
Article
Ornithology
Stephane Duchateau, Gonzalo Cheliz, Juan Antonio Gil, Pascual Lopez-Lopez
Summary: The study systematically monitored Bearded Vultures in the Pyrenees between 2016 and 2020, analyzing the relationship between feather coloration, sex, mating system, and average productivity. Results showed that medium color morph was the most common, females were generally darker than males with some overlap, and dominant males in trios were darker than subordinate males. The best predictors of average productivity were years of territory occupation, mating system, and their combination, with coloration not being a significant factor.
Article
Ecology
Alvaro Soutullo, Ana Laura Machado-Gaye, Eduardo Juri
Summary: Effective management of cumulative impacts in Antarctica, especially in Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs), is crucial for the fulfillment of conservation objectives. Incorporating lessons from protected areas management elsewhere, such as adaptive management and empowering protected area managers, can improve the effectiveness of ASPAs and provide valuable insights for managing cumulative impacts in the rest of the continent.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Miguel Ferrer
Summary: Conservation Biology was established as a tool for managing biodiversity and ecosystems, but the lack of consensus among researchers on which species and spaces to protect and how to preserve ecosystem services is affecting its effectiveness. Environmental thinking, influenced by schools of thought like land ethics and deep ecology, has caused a separation between humans and nature. Overcoming this dichotomy is essential for protecting human-nature habitats.
Article
Forestry
Sara Morollon, Juli G. Pausas, Vicente Urios, Pascual Lopez-Lopez
Summary: This study investigates the impact of wildfires on the behavior of Bonelli's eagles and finds that occasional wildfires do not have short-term or medium-term effects on the distribution and density of this species.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WILDLAND FIRE
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Brady J. Mattsson, Patricia Mateo-Tomas, Adrian Aebischer, Sascha Roesner, Florian Kunz, Eva M. Schoell, Susanne Akesson, Davide De Rosa, Duncan Orr-Ewing, David de la Bodega, Miguel Ferrer, Christian Gelpke, Jakob Katzenberger, Grzegorz Maciorowski, Ubbo Mammen, Martin Kolbe, Alexandre Millon, Aymeric Mionnet, Javier de la Puente, Rainer Raab, Stanislav Vyhnal, Guido Ceccolini, Alfonso Godino, Gabriela Crespo-Luengo, Jose Angel Sanchez-Agudo, Juan Martinez, Juan J. Iglesias-Lebrija, Ester Gines, Maria Cortes, Juan Dean, Ricardo Gomez Calmaestra, Marek Dostal, Eike Steinborn, Javier Vinuela
Summary: The article examines the ecological status and conservation of the red kite in Europe, highlighting the success of conservation actions in certain regions but the depletion of populations in the southernmost edge of the species' range. It proposes an integrated conservation strategy that emphasizes international coordination and addresses key issues such as climate change and transboundary coordination.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Miguel Ferrer, Angele Alloing, Ryan Baumbush, Virginia Morandini
Summary: Avian mortality is a negative impact of wind energy, but the implementation of a turbine shutdown system can significantly reduce the death rate of soaring birds. The study found that after the selective stopping protocol was applied, there was a 61.7% reduction in mortality of soaring birds, particularly raptors and storks. The mortality of Griffon Vultures was reduced by over 92%.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Noelia Gobel, Gabriel Laufer, Ivan Gonzalez-Bergonzoni, Alvaro Soutullo, Matias Arim
Summary: Alien species introductions have significant impacts on invaded communities, affecting their structure, diversity, and functioning. This study investigates the effects of the invasion of Lithobates catesbeianus on the structure and function of food webs in Uruguay. It finds that the integration of energetic pathways by large-bodied consumers remains a consistent feature in invaded ponds, despite changes in top predator identity and community composition. The study also reveals alterations in the relative importance of primary producers and detritus as carbon sources in invaded systems.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Evan M. Burdett, Roberto Muriel, Virginia Morandini, Mahmood Kolnegari, Miguel Ferrer
Summary: Energy infrastructure expansion poses a major threat to wildlife, particularly due to the adverse effects of power lines on avian mortality. This study focuses on the increasing nesting of white storks on electricity pylons and its resulting conflicts with power companies and consumers. Factors such as proximity to landfills, availability of grassland, freshwater sources, and occupied pylons contribute to the intensified use of pylons for nesting. The study also highlights the limited impact of human disturbance and the higher pylon use in urban areas.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sara Morollon, Vicente Urios, Pascual Lopez-Lopez
Summary: High-resolution GPS/GSM dataloggers provide high-quality spatial information that improves our understanding of home-range behavior and spatial ecology. This paper examines the home-range size and the influence of sex, season, and breeding status on the space use of Bonelli's eagle using high-resolution GPS/GSM dataloggers. The study finds that home-range size is similar among individuals occupying the same territory, primarily due to cooperative hunting behavior. Females have slightly smaller home ranges, likely due to reduced activity during the breeding season. There is low neighbor overlap, indicating high intraspecific competition among Bonelli's eagles.
Article
Ecology
Miguel Ferrer, Rhian Evans, Joanna Hedley, Simon Hollamby, Anna Meredith, Virginia Morandini, Owen Selly, Claire Smith, D. Philip Whitfield
Summary: Birds of prey are often reintroduced using the hacking technique, which involves transferring nestlings to captivity and providing them with ad libitum feeding. A study on reintroduced White-tailed Eagles in Scotland found significant changes in blood chemistry parameters during captivity, indicating improved health status. The provision of ad libitum food was associated with decreased values of urea and uric acid, suggesting reduced nutritional stress. Despite losing body mass before release, the hacked eagles showed improved flight performance, indicating that hacking improves the health and nutritional status of reintroduced birds.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Irene Estelles-Domingo, Pascual Lopez-Lopez
Summary: This study used biometric analysis to accurately determine the sex of Bonelli's eagles using just two measurements. The study included 137 eagles sampled in eastern Spain from 2015 to 2022. The results showed that the lateral tarsus length and dorso-ventral tarsus length were the most effective measurements for sex determination. This non-invasive method has multiple applications in conservation efforts.
Article
Ornithology
Miguel Ferrer, Rhian Evans, Joanna Hedley, Simon Hollamby, Anna Meredith, Virginia Morandini, Owen Selly, Claire Smith, D. Philip Whitfield
Summary: Studies on normal blood constituents of free-living birds are not common, but it is important for research and management projects to have adequate knowledge of blood chemistry as it can provide valuable information about the nutritional levels and health status of species. This study aimed to establish reference measures for hematologic and biochemical values in wild White-tailed Sea Eagle nestlings and investigate potential relationships with sex, age, and hatching dates.
JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Andres Lopez-Peinado, Pascual Lopez-Lopez
Summary: The conservation of endangered species is crucial in conservation biology due to their important ecological roles. This study monitored a subpopulation of Bonelli's Eagle in the eastern Iberian Peninsula for 19 years and found that the decline in population was influenced by a combination of environmental and demographic factors.
ORNITHOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Daniela Cortes-Diaz, Diana L. Buitrago-Torres, Juan Sebastian Restrepo-Cardona, Irene Estelles-Domingo, Pascual Lopez-Lopez
Summary: This study focuses on the evolutionary history and conservation needs of New World Vultures. It reveals the ancestral distribution of these birds and identifies priority species and conservation areas based on their evolutionary uniqueness and phylogenetic diversity.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Noelia Gobel, Gabriel Laufer, Ivan Gonzalez-Bergonzoni, Alvaro Soutullo, Matias Arim
Summary: In this article, the effects of the invasion of the American bullfrog on the structure and function of invaded food webs are analyzed. The integration of energetic channels by top predators and the relative use of alternative energetic paths by different functional groups are examined. The results show that the invasion alters the integration pattern of energy channels and affects the stability of food webs.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
