Search results for "RAPTORS"

Spatial segregation of home ranges between neighbouring colonies in a diurnal raptor

2018

AbstractEnhancement of information transfer has been proposed as a key driver of the evolution of coloniality. Transfer of information on location of food resources implies that individuals from the same colony share foraging areas and that each colony can be associated to a specific foraging area. In colonial breeding vertebrates, colony-specific foraging areas are often spatially segregated, mitigating intercolony intraspecific competition. By means of simultaneous GPS tracking of lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni) from neighbouring colonies, we showed a clear segregation of space use between individuals from different colonies. Foraging birds from different neighbouring colonies had home r…

Predation as a landscape effect: the trading off by prey species between predation risks and protection benefits.

2007

1. Predators impose costs on their prey but may also provide benefits such as protection against other (e.g. nest) predators. The optimal breeding location in relation to the distance from a nesting raptor varies so as to minimize the sum of costs of adult and nest predation. We provide a conceptual model to account for variation in the relative predation risks and derive qualitative predictions for how different prey species should respond to the distance from goshawk Accipiter gentilis nests. 2. We test the model predictions using a comprehensive collection of data from northern Finland and central Norway. First, we carried out a series of experiments with artificial bird nests to test if…

Effectiveness of anti-vascular endothelial growth factors in neovascular age-related macular degeneration and variables associated with visual acuity…

2021

Objective To assess the overall effectiveness of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy in treatment-naïve patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) in a clinical practice setting. Study design EAGLE was a retrospective, 2-year, cohort observational, multicenter study conducted in Italy that analyzed secondary data of treatment-naïve patients with nAMD. The primary endpoint evaluated the mean annualized number of anti-VEGF injections at Years 1 and 2. The main secondary endpoints analyzed the mean change in visual acuity (VA) from baseline and variables associated with visual outcomes at Years 1 and 2. Results Of the 752 patients enrolled, 745 (99.07…

Towards a European raptor specimen bank in support of contaminant research and monitoring for better chemicals management

Holidays? Not for all. Eagles have larger home ranges on holidays as a consequence of human disturbance

2019

Human-wildlife conflicts are the object of raising concern in conservation biology. People living in urban areas are rapidly increasing worldwide and consequently the temporal pattern of occupation of natural areas for recreation is changing as well, resulting in an ever-increasing concentration of people during weekends and holidays. This is particularly evident in affluent societies, where more recreationists visit natural areas on holidays and weekends, causing disturbance to wildlife in the so-called “weekend effect”. Here, we tested the response to disturbance of 30 Bonelli's eagles tracked by high-frequency GPS/GSM telemetry. We analysed daily home-range size, a measure of changing be…

Citizen science project to monitor wildlife: a first census of wintering Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus in Sicily

2022

Citizen science can represent an effective tool for large- scale data collection and can be used to improve scientific knowledge and define species distribution ranges before proper planning of related conservation strategies. A regional census of wintering Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus in Sicily, never achieved before, was organized by GAM (Gruppo Aquila Minore - Booted Eagle Group) on 12 Janu- ary 2020, involving 90 people from several organizations. A total of 112 wintering individuals have been recorded for the whole region, col- lecting related data about their colour morph, habitat preference and altitude. A regional estimate of 180-220 wintering individuals was cal- culated, also …

A first inventory of raptors in Sicilian collections

2019

Predator proximity as a stressor in breeding flycatchers: mass loss, stress protein induction, and elevated provisioning.

2010

We investigated the physiological and behavioral consequences for prey breeding at different distances from a nesting predator. In a natural setting, Pied Flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) made territory location decisions relative to established Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) nests. From female flycatchers attending nests at different distances from Sparrowhawk nests, we measured body mass, blood stress protein (HSP60 and HSP70), and plasma immunoglobulin levels at the beginning (initial) and end (final) of the flycatcher breeding cycle, and provisioning rates during the nestling phase. We found that individuals breeding in closer proximity to Sparrowhawk nests, under higher perceived predat…

Regional and age-dependent differences in the effect of wind on the migratory routes of Eleonora's Falcon.

2015

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 Sah…

The first inventory of birds of prey in sicilian museum collections (Italy)

2020

Natural History Museums are places of scientific dissemination and informal education, and have a fundamental role in scientific research and in preserving the historical heritage of a territory and its biodiversity. The island of Sicily, thanks to its geographic position as an inter-continental bridge in the Mediterranean, presents a notable ornithological diversity, with both sedentary species and species that migrate between Africa and Europe. For this reason, and thanks to a strong hunting tradition, Sicilian collections also depict the avifaunal assemblage historically present in the region, particularly for birds of prey, the group we focus on because of its particular ecological char…