Distribución potencial de aves amenazadas en Patagonia Argentina como herramienta para las políticas públicas

La pérdida de biodiversidad pone en evidencia el uso de tecnologías para la contribución en la toma de decisiones. Se elaboraron modelos de distribución potencial de aves seleccionadas en función de categorías de amenaza. Las especies amenazadas fueron: Chloephaga picta (cauquén común), Chloephaga policephala (cauquén real), Cyanoliseus patagonus (loro barranquero), Speculanas specularis (pato de anteojos) y Vultur gryphus (cóndor andino); en peligro: Pluvianellus socialis (chorlito ceniciento); y en peligro crítico: Podiceps gallardoi (macá tobiano). Se utilizó el MaxEnt para modelar nichos de especies. Los resultados mostraron que el promedio de los valores del AUC de los datos de prueba fue superior a 0.8, lo que indica modelos con buenas performances. Sería importante incorporar otros grupos funcionales y fortalecer las políticas públicas que colaboren en la protección de la biodiversidad. Estas acciones complementarían las líneas existentes.

New Zealand's extinct giant raptor ( Hieraaetus moorei ) killed like an eagle, ate like a condor

The extinct Haast's eagle or harpagornis ( Hieraaetus moorei ) is the largest known eagle. Historically, it was first considered a predator, then a scavenger, but most recent authors have favoured an active hunting ecology. However, the veracity of proposed similarities to carrion feeders has not been thoroughly tested. To infer feeding capability and behaviour in harpagornis, we used geometric morphometric and finite-element analyses to assess the shape and biomechanical strength of its neurocranium, beak and talons in comparison to five extant scavenging and predatory birds. The neurocranium of harpagornis is vulture-like in shape whereas its beak is eagle-like. The mechanical performance of harpagornis is closer to extant eagles under biting loads but is closest to the Andean condor ( Vultur gryphus ) under extrinsic loads simulating prey capture and killing. The talons, however, are eagle-like and even for a bird of its size, able to withstand extremely high loads. Results are consistent with the proposition that, unlike living eagles, harpagornis habitually killed prey larger than itself, then applied feeding methods typical of vultures to feed on the large carcasses. Decoupling of the relationship between neurocranium and beak shape may have been linked to rapid evolution.

Defining Spatial Conservation Priorities For the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus)

ABSTRACT The Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) is a culturally iconic wildlife symbol for the South American Andes, but is naturally found at very low population densities, and is increasingly threatened. Using the Range Wide Priority Setting methodology, we (a group of 38 Andean Condor experts) updated the Andean Condor historical range (3,230,061 km2), systematized 9998 Andean Condor distribution points across the range, and identified geographic areas for which there was expert knowledge (66%), including areas where Andean Condors no longer occur (7%), and geographic areas where condors are believed to range, but for which there was not expert knowledge about condor presence (34%). To prioritize conservation action into the future and identify existing Andean Condor population strongholds, we used expert knowledge to identify 21 of the most important areas for the conservation of the species (i.e., Andean Condor Conservation Units [ACCUs]) that cover 37% of the revised historical range, and range in size from 837 km2 to 298,951 km2. In general, ACCUs were relatively small in the northern portion of the range in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru, and significantly larger in the central and southern portion of the range in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, reflecting the reduced and narrower historical range in the northern portion of the range, as well as increased threats. Andean Condors can fly extremely long distances and so the populations of many neighboring ACCUs are probably still functionally connected, although this situation also underlines the need for integrated and large-scale conservation efforts for this species. As a function of the Range Wide Priority Setting results, we make recommendations to ensure population connectivity into the future and engage a wide range of actors in Andean Condor conservation efforts.

Diversidad faunística y potenciales agentes tafonómicos en el Chaco árido (Córdoba, Argentina): una aproximación preliminar con cámaras trampa

El objetivo de este trabajo consistió en identificar las principales especies animales que actúan sobre carcasas de ungulados de gran porte en un área cercana al extremo austral de las Salinas Grandes de Córdoba y su potencial como agentes tafonómicos, considerando variables ecológicas como etología, competencia y posición en la cadena trófica. Con este fin, se realizaron tres monitoreos con cámaras trampa sobre carcasas de Bos taurus y Lama guanicoe. Además, se efectuaron observaciones preliminares sobre desarticulación, dispersión y trazas generadas por distintos agentes tafonómicos sobre las carcasas, a fin de contribuir a nuestro entendimiento sobre los procesos naturales de formación de conjuntos zooarqueológicos en la región. Los monitoreos permitieron registrar 5870 animales en 194 días entre noviembre de 2017 y mayo de 2019. Aves (77,13%) y mamíferos (22,84%) fueron las clases mejor representadas. Entre las aves, se destacan Coragyps atratus, Caracara plancus, Vultur gryphus y Milvago chimango, mientras que entre los mamíferos destaca Lycalopex griseus y las especies exóticas Sus scrofa y Canis lupus familiaris. Se observaron diferencias entre los ensambles faunísticos registrados en cada monitoreo en función del tiempo transcurrido desde la muerte de los animales y de su ubicación espacial.

Exposure to Anthropogenic Areas May Influence Colonization by Zoonotic Microorganisms in Scavenging Birds

Wild bird species have commonly been implicated as potential vectors of pathogens to other species, humans included. However, the habitat where birds live could influence the probability to acquire these pathogens. Here, we evaluated if the characteristics of the environment used by obligate scavenging birds (vultures) influence their colonization by zoonotic pathogens. For this, we particularly focused on Salmonella spp., a zoonotic pathogen commonly present in bird species. The occurrence of this bacteria was evaluated in free ranging Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) using natural environments from Argentina and compared with those obtained from condors under human care. In addition, we compared our results with those reported for other wild vultures using natural and anthropized environments at a global scale. We did not find Salmonella spp. in samples of wild condors. Captive condor samples presented Salmonella spp. with an occurrence of 2.8%, and one isolate of Meticilin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, among other potential pathogenic microorganisms. Moreover, some species of free ranging vultures from diverse geographical areas using anthropized environments tend to present higher occurrences of Salmonella spp. These results highlight the importance of pristine ecosystems to protect vultures’ health toward pathogenic microorganisms that can produce disease in these birds, but also in other species. We call for more studies evaluating differences in occurrence of zoonotic pathogens in vultures according to the quality of the environment they use. Even when vultures have not been implicated in zoonotic pathogen spread, our results add information to evaluate potential events of pathogen spillover between vultures and from these birds to other species.

Diversidad de aves de las localidades de Río Blanco y Sapichaca (Valle del Río Pampas – Región Apurímac, Perú)

El presente trabajo de investigación se realizó en las localidades de Río Blanco y Sapichaca (Margen derecha de la Cuenca del Río Pampas – Región Apurímac), con la finalidad de determinar la composición de aves de la zona, para lo cual se efectuaron muestreos de campo en 04 localidades entre los 1,900 a 4,200 msnm; se emplearon redes de niebla de 12x2 m, puntos de conteo y grabación de sonidos. Como resultado se obtuvo una diversidad específica alta de acuerdo al índice de Shannon (3.31), representada por 92 Especies, 73 Géneros, 36 Familias y 18 Órdenes; siendo Psittacara wagleri, Leptotila verrauxi y Elliotomyia chionogaster las especies más abundantes; la mayor riqueza de especies la tuvo la familia Thraupidae con 11, seguida de Trochilidae y Tyrannidae con 9 y Columbidae con 7 especies. Del total 02 especies se hallan insertas en el Apendice I y 21 especies en el Apéndice II del CITES, así mismo se registran 04 especies endémicas: Elliotomyia viridicauda, Asthenes ottonis, Cranioleuca albicapilla y Poospizopsis caesar, y dos especies Vulnerables: Nothoprocta taczanowskii y Vultur gryphus; de igual forma resalta el hallazgo de Megascops koepckeae hockingi y 25 especies reportadas por primera vez para la provincia de Chincheros. De esta manera se brinda mayor información acerca de regiones poco exploradas de los Andes peruanos como es la Región Apurímac, ampliando los reportes de la distribución y de la situación actual de la avifauna en estos ecosistemas.

Physical limits of flight performance in the heaviest soaring bird

Flight costs are predicted to vary with environmental conditions, and this should ultimately determine the movement capacity and distributions of large soaring birds. Despite this, little is known about how flight effort varies with environmental parameters. We deployed bio-logging devices on the world’s heaviest soaring bird, the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), to assess the extent to which these birds can operate without resorting to powered flight. Our records of individual wingbeats in >216 h of flight show that condors can sustain soaring across a wide range of wind and thermal conditions, flapping for only 1% of their flight time. This is among the very lowest estimated movement costs in vertebrates. One bird even flew for >5 h without flapping, covering ∼172 km. Overall, > 75% of flapping flight was associated with takeoffs. Movement between weak thermal updrafts at the start of the day also imposed a metabolic cost, with birds flapping toward the end of glides to reach ephemeral thermal updrafts. Nonetheless, the investment required was still remarkably low, and even in winter conditions with weak thermals, condors are only predicted to flap for ∼2 s per kilometer. Therefore, the overall flight effort in the largest soaring birds appears to be constrained by the requirements for takeoff.