scholarly journals Stick supply to nests by cliff-nesting raptors as an evolutionary load of past tree-nesting

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Martínez Abraín ◽  
Dr. Juan Jiménez
Keyword(s):  
Gypaetus Barbatus ◽  
Milvus Migrans ◽  
Gyps Fulvus ◽  
Accipiter Nisus ◽  
True Tree ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
Circaetus Gallicus ◽  
Aquila Fasciata ◽  
Milvus Milvus ◽  
Aquila Adalberti

The supply of sticks to cliff nests by many European raptors has been explained only as a functional means of decreasing ectoparasite loads in nests and for signalling nest occupancy. We provide here a historical explanation of this behaviour as we consider it represents an evolutionary load of formerly tree-nesting species. Basically, from this perspective, facultative tree/cliff-nesting species reproduce the nests they used to build originally on top of trees, but on cliffs. Facultative species (likely evolved in forested areas) that supply their cliff nests with sticks include Pandion haliaetus, Haliaetus albicilla, Milvus migrans, Circaetus gallicus, Buteo buteo, Aquila fasciata, A. pennata, A. chrysaetos, A. heliaca, Gypaetus barbatus Gyps fulvus and Neophron percnopterus. On the contrary, the only Falco species that solely nests in cliffs (F. eleonorae)) and does not supply its nests with sticks and should be considered a true cliff-nester, likely evolved in non-forested areas. All other Falco species that do not supply their cliff nests with sticks but can make use of tree nests made by other non-raptorial species, should also be considered as true cliff-nesters, likely evolved in more forested areas or times. Milvus milvus, Elanus caeruleus, Accipiter nisus, A. gentilis, Pernis apivorus, Aquila adalberti, A. clanga, A. pomarina and Aegypius monachus are true tree nesters, likely evolved in forested areas, which did not evolve the plasticity to nest directly on cliffs.

scholarly journals Status and distribution of diurnal raptors in Central North Algeria, the case of Great Kabylia

2021 ◽  
pp. 261-272
Author(s):  
K. Hachour ◽  
N. Talmat–Chaouchi ◽  
R. Moula
Keyword(s):  
Common Species ◽  
Falco Tinnunculus ◽  
Widespread Species ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Milvus Migrans ◽  
Gyps Fulvus ◽  
Accipiter Nisus ◽  
Aquila Fasciata ◽  
Falco Eleonorae ◽  
North Algeria

In 2018 and 2019 thirteen species of raptors, with 407 individuals, were found nesting in Great Kabylia in Algeria. During this period, 196 raptor nest sites were located (Falco tinnunculus is not included as it thrives in many biotopes and tolerates anthropization). We noted a decrease in specific richness and abundance of raptors in the region compared to data for 1992. Some raptors were not seen during our study: Gypaetus barbatus, Pandion haliaetus, Falco biarmicus, Circaetus aeruginosus, and Falco eleonorae. We classified nesting diurnal raptors into 3 classes according to their relative abundance: (1) widespread species (10-26 %): F. tinnunculus, Hieraaetus pennatus, and Buteo rufinus cirtensis; (2) common species (5-10 %): Elanus caeruleus, Falco peregrinus, Circaetus gallicus, Falco naumanni, Gyps fulvus, and Milvus migrans; and (3) uncommon species (1-5 %): Neophron percnopterus, Accipiter nisus, Aquila fasciata, and Aquila chrysaeto. With the exception of N. percnopterus, which is classified as an endangered species, the raptors of Great Kabylia are mainly classified in the category of species of least concern (IUCN, 2020). Dataset published through GBIF (Doi: 10.15470/wt5dgi).

scholarly journals Ecological distribution and population densities of raptors in the inner and outer zone of a Central European city

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 772-779
Author(s):  
G. Kopij
Keyword(s):  
Outer Zone ◽  
Passerine Birds ◽  
Falco Tinnunculus ◽  
Buteo Buteo ◽  
Milvus Migrans ◽  
Accipiter Nisus ◽  
Circus Aeruginosus ◽  
Wooded Area ◽  
The City ◽  
Milvus Milvus

Five raptor species were recorded as breeding in the city of Wrocław (293 km<sup>2</sup>) during the years 2002-2010: <em>Falco tinnunculus</em> (2.4 pairs per 10 km<sup>2</sup>), <em>Buteo buteo</em> (4.1 pairs/10 km<sup>2</sup> of wooded area), <em>Accipiter gentilis</em> (3.1 pairs/10 km<sup>2</sup> of wooded area), <em>Accipiter nisus</em> (1.6 pairs/10 km<sup>2</sup> of wooded area), <em>Circus aeruginosus</em> (0.2 pairs per 10 km<sup>2</sup>). All these species have increased in numbers over the last 20-30 years, both in the inner and outer zone of the city. <em>Falco tinnunculus</em> is a well-established raptor in the inner part of the city, while <em>Accipiter nisus,</em> <em>A. gentilis, Buteo buteo</em> started to infiltrate to the inner zone. In the last 70 years, a few cases of nesting were recorded for four other raptor species in Wrocław: <em>Milvus migrans, Milvus milvus, Pernis apivorus </em>and <em>Falco subbuteo, </em>but none of them was recorded in the inner zone of the city.<em> </em> Abundant and stable food supply (small mammals, columbids, corvids and small passerine birds), and freely available nesting and perching sites may contribute to this success.

scholarly journals Environmental factors affecting the wintering raptor community in Armenia, Southern Caucasus

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianpasquale Chiatante ◽  
Michele Panuccio
Keyword(s):  
General Pattern ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Theoretic Approach ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Milvus Migrans ◽  
Gyps Fulvus ◽  
Black Kite ◽  
Southern Caucasus ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Information Theoretic Approach

AbstractThe species–habitat relationships can change during the year because of the seasonality of resources. Therefore, the investigation of habitat use by animals in each season plays a fundamental role in their conservation. The main aim of this research was to investigate the raptor community that spends the winter in Armenia, southern Caucasus, and to explore its relationship with environmental features, such as land use and topography. During January 2012, we collected data by carrying out 15 roadside counts along which we calculated three community parameters: the relative abundance, the species richness, and the species diversity. Then, we carried out a multiple linear regression with the Information-Theoretic Approach, to explain the relationship between the parameters and environmental variables. Besides, we computed a Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) between the species and the environment around their observations. As a general pattern, the community was associated with permanent crops, maybe because of their heterogeneity, which in turn allows them to support higher densities of prey during the winter. The most abundant species was the Black Kite (Milvus migrans), followed by the Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) and the Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus). To our knowledge, this is one of the first studies investigating the wintering raptor community in the Caucasus, with raptors generally studied in this area during the breeding season and migration.

scholarly journals Comparison of orbital asymmetries among some raptor species: “when size does not matter”

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-27
Author(s):  
Pere M. Parés-Casanova ◽  
Jordina Salas-Bosch
Keyword(s):  
Procrustes Analysis ◽  
Directional Asymmetry ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Tyto Alba ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Bubo Bubo ◽  
Generalized Procrustes Analysis ◽  
Gyps Fulvus ◽  
Accipiter Nisus ◽  
The Right

Abstract A sample of 73 dry, well-preserved skulls was studied, representing various species of raptors with different foraging strategies. The sample included Accipiter nisus (n = 15), Buteo buteo (n = 13), Gyps fulvus (n = 24) and Neophron percnopterus (n = 5), Bubo bubo (n = 16) and Tyto alba (n = 2). Geometric morphometric methods were used to detect orbital asymmetries. On digital pictures of each skull side, a set of 16 semi-landmarks and two landmarks were located in order to describe the orbital ring. The variables were analysed based on Generalized Procrustes analysis. The morphometric data showed that the orbital asymmetry of raptors differed significatively between species, although directional asymmetry (e.g. left orbita systematically more developed than the right) appeared not to be correlated with orbital size. This indicates that larger orbitas do not lead to greater asymmetry. Differences between species should rather be explained by their foraging strategies and degree of visual obstruction in their natural environment.

scholarly journals Prioritizing species conservation: does the Cape Verde kite exist?

2005 ◽  
Vol 272 (1570) ◽  
pp. 1365-1371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff A Johnson ◽  
Richard T Watson ◽  
David P Mindell
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Taxonomic Status ◽  
Type Specimen ◽  
Cape Verde ◽  
Cape Verde Islands ◽  
Milvus Migrans ◽  
Black Kite ◽  
Milvus Milvus

The Cape Verde kite ( Milvus milvus fasciicauda ) is considered to be one of the rarest birds of prey in the world and at significant risk of extinction. For this reason there is great interest in both the taxonomic and the population status of this group. To help resolve its taxonomic status, we provide phylogenetic analyses based on three mitochondrial genes for a sampling of kites in the genus Milvus , including a broad geographical sampling of black kites ( Milvus migrans ), red kites ( Milvus milvus ), Cape Verde kite museum specimens collected between 1897 and 1924, and five kites trapped on the Cape Verde Islands during August 2002. We found that the historical Cape Verde kites, including the type specimen, were non-monophyletic and scattered within a larger red kite clade. The recently trapped kites from the Cape Verde Islands were all phylogenetically diagnosed as black kites. Our findings suggest that the traditional Cape Verde kite is not a distinctive evolutionary unit, and the case for species status, as recently suggested by others, is not supported. We do find support for recognition of at least one clade of yellow-billed kites, traditionally considered as a black kite subspecies, as a distinctive phylogenetic species.

scholarly journals Conservation of the Red Kite Milvus milvus (Aves: Accipitriformes) Is Not Affected by the Establishment of a Broad Hybrid Zone with the Black Kite Milvus migrans migrans in Central Europe

PLoS ONE ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e0159202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petr Heneberg ◽  
Matej Dolinay ◽  
Hynek Matušík ◽  
Thomas Pfeiffer ◽  
Winfried Nachtigall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Europe ◽  
Hybrid Zone ◽  
Milvus Migrans ◽  
Black Kite ◽  
Milvus Milvus

scholarly journals Vultures, their population status and some ecological aspects in an Indian stronghold

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-142
Author(s):  
Kaushalendra K. JHA ◽  
Michael O. CAMPBELL ◽  
Radhika JHA
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Central India ◽  
Griffon Vulture ◽  
Egyptian Vulture ◽  
Gyps Fulvus ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
Cinereous Vulture ◽  
Gyps Indicus

Indian vultures have important ecological and socio-economic functions and are increasingly studied, per their ecological role and recently, their catastrophic populations’ decline. However, there are few studies of vultures in central India, a vulture stronghold. The present paper examined the presence, distribution per landcover variation, roosting and nesting habits of vultures in this region. Both quantitative (total count) and qualitative (questionnaire survey) methods of research were applied. The hypotheses were that vulture presence is higher in forested areas, unaffected by agricultural development (excepting the Egyptian vulture); as well as that vultures are more likely to roost and nest in large trees and on cliffs in open landcover. Vulture species recorded in summer and winter counts were the Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus, Scopoli, 1786), Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus, Linnaeus, 1758), White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis, Gmelin, 1788), Eurasian Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus, Hablizl, 1783), Red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvus, Scopoli, 1786), Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus, Linnaeus, 1766) and Himalayan Griffon vulture (Gyps himalayensis, Hume, 1869). Their average total abundance was of 7,028 individuals, maximum being Long-billed vulture (3,351) and minimum being Cinereous vulture (39). Thematic maps documented distributions in different agroclimatic regions and ecozones. Orography and forest structure influenced vulture presence, but human disturbance did not. Vulture protection, food monitoring and human-induced disturbances are manageable with critical, informed and flexible policies. These findings contribute to monitoring and management planning for vulture conservation in Central India and elsewhere.

scholarly journals The Status of Vultures Neophron Percnopterus, Gypaetus Barbatus, Gyps Fulvus, Aegypius Monachus (Accipitriformes) in Azerbaijan

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 565-570
Author(s):  
T. Karimov ◽  
A. Mammadov
Keyword(s):  
Griffon Vulture ◽  
Egyptian Vulture ◽  
Gypaetus Barbatus ◽  
Gyps Fulvus ◽  
Domestic Ruminants ◽  
Neophron Percnopterus ◽  
Bearded Vulture ◽  
Black Vulture ◽  
The Status ◽  
Lesser Caucasus

The inventory of vultures was conducted in 2004–2016. Modern areal and nesting places of Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), Black vulture (Aegypius monachus), Egyptian vulture, (Neophron percnopterus) and Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) in Azerbaijan was determined. Our results reveals that 60.6% (n=20) of nesting locations were found in Lesser Caucasus, 36.3% (n=12) in Great Caucasus, 3.0% (n=1) in Talysh mountains. Over the last 13 years the total known population of these species decreased by 15.3%. Primary reason of this decline is the abandonment of livestock farms and graze lands, accompanied by the expansion of cultivated areas (P = 0.0001) since large domestic ruminants are important source of food for Griffon vultures,. The other important threats to these species were identified as nestling removal, capture and trade of wild birds for exhibiting them in zoological gardens and roadside restaurants, destructing the nests of Black vultures, ecotourism and recreation has impacted on the decrease in the number of Griffon vultures (P =0.0001). In 2016, 61 pairs of Griffon vulture, 59 pairs of Egyptian vulture, 16 pairs of Black vulture, 9 pairs of Bearded vulture were recorded in the territories of Azerbaijan.

scholarly journals Some data on the behaviour of kites (Milvus milvus, Milvus migrans) nesting close to two active wind farms in Saxony, Germany

The Ring ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-136
Author(s):  
Przemysław Busse ◽  
Izabella Rząd
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Active Avoidance ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Milvus Migrans ◽  
Breeding Time ◽  
Milvus Milvus ◽  
Local Pairs

Abstract The main aim of this study was to evaluate how local pairs of kites behave in the vicinity of two wind farms located in the same region (Saxony, Germany) and at farms which are to be re-powered. We observed three pairs that had located their nests close to active wind farms (a few hundred to 1500 m from the wind farm). Special attention was focused on variation in the intensity of flights and its dependence on the local landscape and to active avoidance of existing wind turbines. Observations were made at the end of the breeding time, when the young were still in the nest and shortly after fledging. Despite the short observation periods, the results seem to show clearly how differentiated the flight patterns of these birds are in relation to the landscape features around the farm. The distance from the nest to the wind farm cannot be the only measure of the level of potential wind-farm-related danger to the birds nesting close to the farm site. Distribution of flights is not random, but clearly concentrated on defined target hunting areas, while other directions are visited infrequently. In the case of both farms, the farm was rarely crossed by the Black Kites (9.9% of all flights) and very rarely (2.8%) by the Red Kites, and such crossing was observed only while the turbine rotors were not in motion or when the rotors were turning slowly (below 5 turns/min.). It may be advisable to conduct special monitoring of movement patterns at breeding time if kite nests are found close to the planned location of the wind farm.

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