Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Raptors'

This thesis concerns the predator-prey interactions of three raptor species in a Swedish arctic community: the gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), the rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos).

The gyrfalcon behaved like a highly specialised ptarmigan (Lagopus spp.) predator. Gyrfalcon’s functional response to ptarmigan was close to density independent, and ptarmigan remained the dominating prey even in areas with the lowest ptarmigan density. The gyrfalcon did not respond functionally to microtine rodents (i.e. lemmings and voles) and it was clear that the gyrfalcon did not use microtines as an alternative prey category to ptarmigan. As the gyrfalcons did not switch to any alternative prey when ptarmigan was scarce, their reproductive success seemed to be directly dependent on the amount of ptarmigan available in the breeding territories. Of the two ptarmigan species in the study area, rock ptarmigan (L. mutus) dominated gyrfalcon’s diet. Locally, the proportion of rock ptarmigan in gyrfalcons’ diets showed a positive relationship to the expected availability of rock ptarmigan in the breeding territories, indicating a density dependent utilisation.

The rough-legged buzzard behaved like a highly specialised microtine rodent predator and Norwegian lemming (Lemmus lemmus) was its preferred microtine species. The buzzards showed a type 2 functional response to lemmings. Surprisingly though, they also had a type 3 functional response to grey-sided voles (Clethrionomus rufocanus). We present an optimal diet model where a central place forager, during good food conditions, benefits from partial prey preference, which renders separate functional responses to each prey category. We discuss how the double functional responses of the buzzard affect the population dynamics of sympatric vole species, on both temporal and spatial scales.

The golden eagle behaved like a generalist predator, and it preyed on all major prey categories in the study area: microtines, ptarmigan, mountain hare, (Lepus timidus) and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). It seemed to respond functionally to microtine rodent fluctuations with an increased consumption of lemmings during a peak year in the microtine rodent cycle. The golden eagle showed a numerical response to its main prey, the ptarmigan.

Ptarmigan, microtine rodents and hares seemed to have synchronized population fluctuations in the study area. Such synchronized population fluctuations are believed to be generated by predation. Although the three raptors are the main predators of their community, their predation patterns fail to explain the observed prey population dynamics in the study area.

The conversion of natural environments into land useful for human habitation has many effects on biodiversity and can alter the way terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems function. Urbanisation is particularly potent in coastal areas, where birds of prey have often been recognised as indicators of environmental health. In Australia, four coastal raptor species are present: White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster), Eastern Osprey (Pandion haliaetus cristatus), Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) and Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus). Coastal raptors are important vectors of nutrient transport between marine and terrestrial systems and are key players in structuring biological communities. Most coastal raptor research has been in southern Australia where populations are in decline. However, little has been conducted in the urbanising region of South-East Queensland (SEQ). This thesis addressed urbanisation impacts on Australia’s coastal raptors in SEQ including breeding habits, physical impacts, rehabilitation outcomes and the importance of protected areas. Chapter 2 discussed Eastern Ospreys and their ability to adapt to urban areas and nest on artificial structures. This behaviour was investigated in two regions of SEQ: urbanised Moreton Bay Marine Park (MBMP) and rural Great Sandy Marine Park (GSMP). Most nests in MBMP were on artificial structures, while in GSMP most were on natural structures. This chapter showed that Eastern Ospreys have a high propensity for nesting on artificial structures when close to urban environments and that additional nesting platforms should be erected to avoid the risks associated with nesting on unsafe structures. Physical threats in urban landscapes are many and varied for Australia’s coastal raptors. These threats were investigated in Chapter 3, where admissions to Currumbin Wildlife Hospital Foundation (CWH) were analysed. Most birds were admitted from anthropogenic causes, most significantly from fishing equipment entanglement. Bird attack and vehicle strike were also significant. This is the first time fishing equipment entanglement has been quantified as a significant cause of injury to coastal raptors. This chapter highlights the importance of public education on the threats fishing equipment can cause to local wildlife. Although the majority of coastal raptors admitted to CWH were released, assessing rehabilitation success of raptors has been rarely attempted. Rehabilitation is intensive, expensive and the success rates post-release are rarely investigated. In Chapter 4, 28 banded coastal raptors and 2 White-bellied Sea-Eagles, fitted with GPS tracking devices, were monitored post-release. Band return was low but both tagged White-bellied Sea-Eagles survived beyond the crucial six week period, suggesting successful rehabilitation. Home ranges were much larger than previously reported for this species and illustrates how GPS tracking can enhance our knowledge of the ecology of these raptors. Chapter 5 explored trends in the presence of these species in SEQ using three datasets. Long-term data from Queensland Wader Study Group, habitat loss data from Global Forest Watch and nest location data were used to explore temporal trends in species sightings and cumulative habitat loss in Moreton Bay. White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Whistling Kite sightings decreased with increased cumulative tree cover loss while nest location data showed that coastal raptors were nesting in protected areas. These findings suggests that these areas are critical for their persistence in the region. This thesis showed that while many processes threaten the coastal raptors of SEQ, management is possible with education and innovative measures. Watercourses and protected areas were critically important for coastal raptors in urban areas, where fishing equipment entanglement is a key threat. Rehabilitation of coastal raptors by CWH is often successful and could be critical for the management of species populations and mitigation of threats. Furthermore, the benefits of GPS tracking in increasing our knowledge of the ecology of coastal raptors was clearly demonstrated. Although susceptible to many threats, the coastal raptors of SEQ showed resilience and adaptability, finding opportunities to breed in the protected areas of Moreton Bay. Eastern Ospreys have the ability to nest on various structures within the urban landscape and although risky, this behaviour shows that breeding platforms could be erected in urban areas to encourage ospreys to avoid dangerous nest sites and reduce competitive pressures for nesting space with the other species. The information presented in this thesis will contribute significantly to our knowledge on Eastern Ospreys, White-bellied Sea-Eagles, Whistling Kites and Brahminy Kites in coastal South-East Queensland.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Environment and Sc
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
Full Text

Red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), Swainson's hawks (Buteo swainsoni), great horned owls (Bubo virginiaus), and ravens (Covus corax and C. cryptoleucus) occur sympatrically in desert grasslands in Arizona. Desert grasslands have been invaded by trees since Anglo-American settlement. They may also be subject to greater human disturbance than historically, because of recent increases in illegal immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border. These changes may affect the abundance, diversity, competitive interactions, and reproductive success of raptors and corvids in desert grasslands. I studied raptors and corvids on the Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER) and Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge (BANWR) in southern Arizona. My objectives were to (1) assess how spatial relationships among nesting raptors and corvids affect reproductive success, (2) identify characteristics of the environment selected by members of the assemblage for nest sites and home ranges, (3) identify similarities and differences in nest site and home-range characteristics among species, and (4) investigate how anthropogenic changes in desert grasslands have affected raptors and corvids. Productivity (x̄ [95% CI]) was high for red-tailed hawks on the SRER (1.82 [1.41, 2.23] young per breeding pair [YPB]), but low for all species on the BANWR (great horned owls: 0.96 [0.54, 1.38] YPB; ravens: 1.75 [1.39, 2.10]; red-tailed hawks: 1.04[0.83, 1.24]; Swainson's hawks: 0.91 [0.67, 1.16]) relative to range-wide averages (great horned owls: 1.42 [1.27, 1.56]; ravens: 2.39 [2.70, 3.07]; red-tailed hawks: 1.35 [1.20, 1.50]; Swainson's hawks: 1.34 [1.23, 1.45]). All species on both sites selected nest sites with taller nest trees and greater tree volume than available at random. Swainson's hawks selected home ranges with greater grass volume than available on BANWR. Overlap in habitat use was high among all species, exceeding 54% for nest trees, 80% for nest sites, and 90% for home ranges. Mesquite-dominated desert grasslands seemed to provide high quality habitat for red-tailed hawks on the SRER, but reproductive success for assemblage members on BANWR was poor. We suggest that competition, resulting from high habitat overlap, and human disturbance by illegal immigrants, has depressed raptor and corvid reproductive success on the BANWR.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Ecologia, 2018.
Submitted by Raquel Viana (raquelviana@bce.unb.br) on 2018-08-21T21:28:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2018_JulioAmaroBettoMonsalvo.pdf: 2801592 bytes, checksum: a9aeb76330a1ea7f4163850985de20fa (MD5)
Approved for entry into archive by Raquel Viana (raquelviana@bce.unb.br) on 2018-08-27T21:45:40Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2018_JulioAmaroBettoMonsalvo.pdf: 2801592 bytes, checksum: a9aeb76330a1ea7f4163850985de20fa (MD5)
Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T21:45:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2018_JulioAmaroBettoMonsalvo.pdf: 2801592 bytes, checksum: a9aeb76330a1ea7f4163850985de20fa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-08-21
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).
Estudos de história de vida em aves frequentemente restringem-se ao paradigma latitudinal de variação nos tamanhos de ninhada, ignorando o valor dos trade-offs entre os diferentes parâmetros, como o comprimento da estação reprodutiva (breeding season length; BSL). Acredita-se que este parâmetro apresente também uma clina latitudinal, com um aumento da duração em direção aos trópicos. Também há evidências de variação latitudinal nas estações reprodutivas entre táxons próximos, mas há muito se debate a capacidade de aves de baixas latitudes responder a mudanças no comprimento do dia. Resultados de estudos feitos na América do Sul e no Hemisfério Sul como um todo desafiam o paradigma latitudinal de BSLs. A maioria dessas pesquisas foca em comunidades de Passeriformes, ignorando espécies de maior tamanho corporal como rapinantes, mas é essencial verificar se os padrões se sustentam entre diferentes clados de aves. Além disso, esse conhecimento pode ser relevante para o manejo e conservação das espécies. Analisei a ocorrência de variações geográficas em parâmetros reprodutivos de Accipitridae neotropicais. No primeiro Capítulo, motivado pela ausência de uma revisão recente e abrangente do estado-da-arte que englobasse toda a região Neotropical, examinei lacunas no conhecimento sobre a biologia reprodutiva dessas aves. Compilei 457 referências bibliográficas, produzidas desde a última revisão similar (Bierregaard 1995), com registros reprodutivos de 56 espécies. Ainda que 66% destas espécies tenham apresentado incrementos no estado de conhecimento, para sete o ninho ainda não foi descrito, e/ou há uma completa ausência de informação sobre comportamentos reprodutivos. Dentre estas, o antigo “clado Leucopternis” segue como o caso mais problemático. Forneço uma classificação atualizada de níveis de conhecimento sobre a biologia reprodutiva dos Accipitriformes neotropicais, e apresento uma lista de 24 espécies prioritárias para estudos sobre biologia reprodutiva, considerando tanto lacunas no conhecimento quanto atual relevância para a conservação. A revisão realizada no Capítulo 1 serviu de base e viabilizou as análises do Capítulo 2, usando dados do clado ‘buteonines’, um diversificado grupo monofilético de Accipitridae, com biologia reprodutiva relativamente bem conhecida. Verifiquei nesse Capítulo se esses raptores apresentam padrões de variação geográfica nas estações reprodutivas. Obtive 1541 registros de ninhos de 27 espécies da região Neotropical, da literatura e também de 16 coleções de ovos em museus. Os registros foram divididos em amostras (‘units’), entre diferentes faixas latitudinais, de acordo com a filogenia e atributos ecológicos e biogeográficos relevantes, e também entre ecorregiões. Diferenças significativas foram encontradas entre as estimativas de início da estação reprodutiva (initiation of the breeding season; IOB) de diferentes faixas latitudinais: as médias de populações tropicais do sul divergiram daquelas tanto das populações tropicais do norte (ANOVA; Q = 5,987; P < 0,001) quanto das temperadas do sul (Q = 6,731; P < 0,001). Estimativas de IOB são negativamente correlacionadas com a latitude (r = -0,667, r² = 0,445, P = 0,018). Valores de BSL variaram significativamente menos que os de IOB (testes a posteriori Fligner-Kileen para coeficientes de variação), e não encontrei suporte para a predição de que duração das estações reprodutivas das populações de diferentes espécies em uma mesma faixa latitudinal divergem significativamente das de outras faixas. Além disso, populações migrantes e não-migrantes não tiveram BSLs significativamente distintos, e nenhum tipo de “efeito de ilha” ocorreu com os BSLs de populações insulares em vários níveis de isolamento. As estações reprodutivas de buteonines iniciam muito mais cedo que as de Passeriformes, e provavelmente também que as de outros Accipitridae, tanto em uma mesma área quanto em outras regiões do globo. Há um padrão de clinas latitudinais nos IOBs, com as estações reprodutivas começando até 100 dias antes do equinócio em ambas as faixas tropicais, porém mais atrasadas na faixa temperada. Essas conclusões sugerem que estímulos de comprimento dos dias sejam a principal causa proximal definindo o início das estações reprodutivas dessas aves. Também sugiro que imprevisibilidade climática não necessariamente selecionaria maiores estações reprodutivas em aves; e demonstrei que, entre buteonines neotropicais, BSLs de migrantes de curtas distâncias são muito similares aos de não-migrantes, indicando ausência de restrições temporais para sua reprodução. Isolamento reprodutivo e/ou evolutivo de populações insulares por si só pode não levar a uma maior divergência em parâmetros reprodutivos em relação a populações continentais. Devido a escassez de dados comportamentais e ecológicos para a maioria destas espécies, especialmente no norte e centro da América do Sul, ressalto a relevância de conduzir estudos detalhados com populações distintas, e evidencio como a cuidadosa análise de coleções oológicas pode preencher algumas lacunas de conhecimento. Também demonstro como pesquisas podem prover novas evidências e postular hipóteses testáveis, mesmo com dados muito distantes do ideal.
Avian life-history studies are mostly restricted to the latitudinal paradigm of clutch-size variation, ignoring the value of trade-offs between the different parameters. One of these parameters is the breeding season length (therefore, BSL), considered to also present a latitudinal cline, increasing toward the tropics. Moreover, there is evidence that nesting seasons diverge latitudinally among closely-related taxa, but the perception of day-length variation by birds at lower latitudes has long been debated. Results from studies conducted in South America and through the Southern Hemisphere challenges BSL’s latitudinal paradigm. Most of these studies focus on passerine communities, overlooking larger species such as raptors, but it is essential to verify if patterns hold true across bird clades. Also, such knowledge about breeding biology is relevant for species’ management and conservation. I analyzed the occurrence of geographical variation in breeding parameters of Neotropical accipitrid raptors. In the first Chapter, motivated by the lack of a recent, comprehensive survey of the state-of-the-art spanning the entire Neotropics, I examined gaps of knowledge on these birds’ breeding biology. I compiled 457 references, produced since the last similar review (Bierregaard 1995), that reported breeding of 56 species. Although 66% of the evaluated species had an improvement on the state of knowledge, for seven species nests have not been described yet, and/or there is a complete absence of information about their breeding behavior. Among these, the former “Leucopternis clade” remains the most problematic case. I provide an update of current levels of knowledge about the breeding biology of Neotropical Accipitriformes, and present a list of 24 priority species for breeding biology studies, considering both information gaps and current conservation relevance. The review performed on Chapter 1 was the baseline and allowed the analyses made in Chapter 2, that used data of the buteonines clade, a diversified monophyletic group of accipitrid raptors, with relatively well-known breeding biology. In the second Chapter, I verified whether these raptors present patterns of geographical variation in breeding seasonality. I obtained 1541 nest records from 27 species of the Neotropical region, from literature and also 16 museum egg collections. Records were divided between samples (‘units’), among latitudinal ranges, according to phylogeny and relevant ecological and biogeographical traits, and also between ecoregions. Significant differences were found between estimates of initiation of the breeding season (IOB) from different latitudinal ranges: the means of southern tropical units differed from those of both northern tropical (ANOVA; Q = 5.987; P < 0.001) and southern temperate ones (Q = 6.731; P < 0.001). Estimates of IOB are also negatively correlated with latitude (r = -0.667; r² = 0.445; P = 0.018). Values of BSL varied significantly less than those of IOB (a posteriori Fligner-Kileen tests for coefficients of variation), and I found no support for the prediction that breeding season lengths of populations of different species within a same latitudinal range will significantly diverge from other ranges’. Also, migrants and non-migrant units had no significantly different BSLs, and no kind of “island effect” occured with BSLs of units on islands, in any level of isolation. Neotropical buteonine’s breeding seasons start earlier than those of passerines, and probably earlier than other accipitrids, either in the same range or elsewhere. There is a pattern of latitudinal clines in the IOBs as their seasons start up to 100 days before vernal equinox in both tropical ranges, but later on the temperate range. These findings suggest that day-length stimuli are the main proximate clues determining the onset of their breeding seasons. I also suggest that unpredictability on climate do not necessarily select for longer breeding seasons in birds, and demonstrate that among Neotropical buteonines, short-distance migrants have BSLs very similar to those of non-migrants, indicating no substantial time-constraints for their breeding activities. Reproductive and/or evolutionary isolation of insular populations alone may not select for increasing divergence in breeding parameters, relative to mainland populations. Due to the scarcity of ecological and behavioral data for most of these species, particularly in northern and central South America, I highlight the relevance of conducting detailed studies with different populations, and also how scrutiny of oological collections could fill some gaps of knowledge. I also demonstrate how, even with data far from ideal, research can provide new evidence and put forward testable hypotheses.

As the world's human population increases, so does the competition for natural resources between humans and wildlife. This competition may be intense for apex predators, such as raptors, which generally require large natural areas in order to maintain their populations. Anthropogenic development within territories can cause individuals to either abandon these sites, reduce their breeding productivity, or cause direct mortality to the territory holding birds. To mitigate such impacts, one method, employed as part of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), is the use buffer circles centred on nest sites. Within these buffers the most damaging forms of development are prohibited. This approach assumes that raptors use the space around their nest in a uniform way, but this assumption may not always be correct and few have evaluated the effectiveness of buffer circles at protecting a species' home range. This study uses tracking data to evaluate the effectiveness of buffer circles to cover the ranging movements of six southern African raptor species, throughout the year, as well as during their breeding and non-breeding season. My study revealed that buffer circles whose dimensions were based on the species' 95% Kernel Density Estimate (KDE) did relatively well at capturing the proportion of individual GPS fixes, but did less well at capturing the KDE area from tracked birds. For buffer circles to capture 95% of the home range polygons (95% KDE) they would generally need to be at least twice as large as those that were derived from the 95% KDE home range area, and for some species with very large home ranges (e.g. Lappet-faced Vultures) even buffer circles that were 3 times the size failed to cover 95% of the KDE polygons.

Habitat fragmentation has different effects on species and communities, depending on a suite of life-history and population traits: some species are more vulnerable to the effects of fragmentation than others. Contrasting responses suggest there are particular species' attributes that make an organism more or less susceptible to the effects of fragmentation. Much research has focused on identifying which of these traits are the most useful indicators of a species' fragmentation-linked extinction risk. For example, body size, rarity, ecological specialization, matrix use, range size and turnover rate have all been linked with species extinction risk. Few studies have, however, attempted to explore the traits that predispose raptors to vulnerability from fragmentation. In this study, I compare the responses of two near-sympatric raptors (the Black Harrier Circus maurus and the Black Sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus) to habitat fragmentation. On a broader scale, I use a simple model of susceptibility to fragmentation effects, and a sample of hawks (Accipiter spp) and harriers (Circus spp) in the family Accipitridae, to predict which species attributes are most likely to produce a negative response to habitat fragmentation. I then compare these predictions with the current global threat status of each species to test whether the model can predict threat status with acceptable accuracy.

Of the 36 diurnal raptor species in North America, 31 (~86%) are either complete or partial migrants. During fall and spring, raptors use "leading lines" or topographic features, such as mountain ranges, rivers, and coastlines that help guide them during their migration, and sometimes are redirected by diversion lines, or barriers that they are hesitant to cross (e.g., large bodies of water). Our objective was to assess the use of mountain ranges and rivers in central and southeastern Arizona by migrating raptors and to determine physical and ecological factors that are important to raptor migration across the United States. We counted migrating raptors in the spring and fall for two years at ten paired count stations in central and southeastern Arizona. Arizona counts were incorporated with counts from across the United States to determine physical and ecological features that influence migration rates. Raptor counts for central and southeastern Arizona averaged 2.0 raptors/hour, and were similar to what is observed at most other counting stations in the Central and Pacific Flyways. Stepwise regression models for the United States indicated counts were negatively related to distance from a diversion barrier and positively related to continuity of elevation. Understanding the factors that influence migrating raptors will inform decisions about environmental modifications and their potential influence on raptor populations. The following appendices are written and formatted to be submitted to journals. Although part of a thesis, they are written in plural to reflect the necessary authorship for journal submission. The first appendix, titled "Assessment of raptor migration corridors in central and southeastern Arizona", will be submitted to the Southwestern Naturalist. The second appendix, title "Assessment of raptor migration corridors in the United States", will be submitted to the Journal of Raptor Research.

Nesta tese estudaram-se as interacções predatórias entre vertebrados predadores de topo (predação intraguilda e superpredação), utilizando quatro aves de rapina de grande porte como modelos de superpredadores: Bufo-real, Açor, Águia-real, e Águia de Bonelli. A superpredação em aves de rapina é um fenómeno abrangente, que pode variar entre espécies, e mais frequente em paisagens mais humanizadas. Os meso-predadores não são recursos energeticamente relevantes para as aves de rapina, e o seu consumo está associado à diversificação da dieta resultante da diminuição das presas habituais. A eliminação de competidores e potenciais predadores são outros factores que podem aumentar a frequência da superpredação. O aumento da percentagem de meso-predadores na dieta está associado a menor sucesso reprodutor e maiores níveis de acumulação de mercúrio nas aves de rapina. O risco de predação pode levar um meso-predador (Coruja-do-mato) a diminuir a sua actividade vocal de modo a estar menos exposto ao predador intraguilda; ABSTRACT: This thesis analyses predatory interactions among vertebrate top predadores (intraguild predation and superpredation), using four large raptors as superpredator models: eagle owl, goshawk, golden eagle and Bonelli's eagle. Superpredation in raptors is a widespread phenomenon, that can vary between species, and that is more frequent in human-altered landscapes. Mesopredators are not energetically relevant resources for raptors, and their consumption is related to diet diversification as a result of the decline of staple prey. Competitor and predator removal are additional factors that can cause an increase in superpredation rates. The increase of mesopredators in the diet of raptors is associated to lower breeding success and higher levels of mercury contamination. Predation risk can drive a mesopredator (tawny owl) to reduce its vocal activity in order to be less exposed to its intraguild predator.

This study examined the effects of habitat parameters, disturbances and predation on the reproductive success of golden eagles (Aguila chrysaetos), ferruginous hawks (Buteo regalis), red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) and prairie falcons (Falco mexicanus) in the desert area southwest of the Great Salt Lake in northwestern Utah. The prairie falcon was the only species examined that had a normal reproductive output during the study years of 1984-1986. The prairie falcon was better able to utilize the avian prey species which were very difficult for the larger and slower raptor species to capture. During the reproductive period prairie falcons used Townsend ground squirrel (Sperrnophilus townsendii) heavily. The golden eagles, ferruginous, and red-tailed hawks were not able to obtain sufficient numbers of their primary prey species, the cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus nuttallii) and black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus), to allow for a normal reproductive output. These prey species were at the low point of their cyclic population pattern. Disturbance to raptors was not an important factor on this remote study area. Predation, primarily terrestrial mammals, did have a negative effect on reproductive success; however, it was not a major consideration due to lack of predator access on most of the cliff nesting sites of the golden eagle, red-tailed hawk, and prairie falcon. Predation appeared to have a greater impact on the ferruginous hawk nesting success as their nest sites were normally accessable to mammalian predators. Raptor nest site exposure was unimportant to nesting raptors. The nest exposure was very similar to the exposure ratio of the available cliff sites.

There is little information on the distribution and diversity of Apicomplexan protozoal infections in the tissues of raptors in the United States. Protozoan encephalitis caused by Sarcocystis species and Toxoplasma gondii is being increasingly reported in raptors from various locations in the United States. To better determine the exposure of raptors to these Apicomplexan parasites, we examined breast and heart muscle tissue of raptors from the Carolina Raptor Center for the presence of Sarcocystis species, T. gondii and Neospora caninum via histology, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) using DraI and HinfI enzymes (Sarocystis only). Of 187 available HandE stained tissue sections, 33 contained sarcocysts. Nineteen of these slides had a matching DNA sample to compare via PCR. Nine of these 19 were positive for Sarcocystis via ITS PCR. Using ITS PCR, we detected Sarcocystis DNA in 24 of 114 birds (21.1%). Further molecular differentiation using JNB primers showed that 9 of the 24 birds were positive for either S. neurona or S. falcatula. RFLP analysis of these 9 indicated that 4 were S. falcatula samples, and 3 were S. falcatula Arg samples that cut with both enzymes. Our Sarcocystis positive samples were also tested for S. calchasi, S. columbae and Sarcocystis sp. Ex. A. nisus using PCR primers designed for these species. These species are emerging in Europe and have already shown an expansion of their distribution. Two samples (14567 and 15203) suggestive of Sarcocystis sp. Ex. A. nisus were identified, as well as one sample (14567), which suggested the presence of S. columbae. None of these samples were confirmed by sequencing the amplicons and the other 22 samples were all negative for these parasites. Recent reports have demonstrated DNA of S. falcatula in the brain and muscles of great horned owls (Bubo virginianus), golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), and bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) with encephalitis in rehabilitation centers in Indiana, Minnesota, and Virginia using PCR. DNA of S. calchasi has been found in CNS tissue of several species of birds suffering encephalitis in an aviary in California. Hawks (Accipiter species) are believed to be the source of infection. The prevalence of T. gondii was 18.4% (21 of 114) in these birds by PCR, but none were positive by histopathology. N. caninum prevalence in raptors has been poorly discussed in the literature. This parasite uses canids as the definitive host in its life cycle, and is considered to have a much more restricted host range than T. gondii. Thirty-five of 114 birds (30.7%) were found to be PCR positive for N. caninum, but no tissue cysts of N. caninum were observed in histological sections. Co-infection of 2 or all 3 species was detected in 16 of 114 birds (14%). This study demonstrates that there may be a higher prevalence of S. falcatula in raptors than was previously known, including more, as yet unknown, species of Sarcocystis capable of infecting raptors as intermediate hosts. Our PCR prevalence for T. gondii is similar to the serological prevalence for this parasite in raptors. The high PCR prevalence of N. caninum needs to be confirmed by sequencing the amplicons and the use of additional PCR primers. Information from the present study may help to inform zoos, aviaries and wildlife rehabilitation centers about parasite host diversity and reinforce the importance of preventative measures, such as making sure opossums (S. falcatula and S. falcatula-like), feral cats (T. gondii), and wild raptors (S. calchasi) do not have access to facilities. Insect control should also be emphasized because of their ability to serve as phoretic hosts and carry oocysts/sporocysts into zoos, aviaries, and rehabilitation centers.
Master of Science

This study aims to deconstruct current conceptions about animal-assisted interventions by investigating relationships between human beings and birds of prey. Interactions between birds of prey, or “raptors,” provide novel cases from which to reexamine failed attempts to provide empirical data in support of alternative therapies. Previous research addressing the efficacy of animal-assisted interventions is simply not robust enough to be considered a feasible treatment option by medical professionals. By extension, models of self-regulation in psychology are often presented using reductionist models and oversimplified therapeutic outcomes. Taken together, raptor-human relationships help to highlight the shortcomings of each, as well as potential solutions towards developing comprehensive frameworks for measuring efficacy of multispecies interactions. This study was conducted at a small nature park in Largo, FL where a number of native raptor species are housed, cared for, and trained each day by volunteers. These volunteers made up the sample size for this study with forty participants (n = 40) between the ages of eighteen and seventy five. Drawing on both my own experiences as a raptor handler, as well as the qualitative data collected from volunteers, I employed a neuroanthropological approach to reveal underlying dynamics of the program via a two-stage research plan. Stage 1 of the study addresses the Raptor Program itself in facilitating human-animal interactions. Stage 2 addresses the mechanisms at play during firsthand encounters with birds of prey. Findings suggest that programmatic and regulatory drivers within the program must operate together, often simultaneously, for an animal-assisted intervention organization to be successful. Further, this study calls for the ongoing development of novel methodological approaches in future research to determine the efficacy of animal-assisted interventions at large.

Many raptor species are in steep decline across Africa. Botswana is regionally important for many of these species, including vultures, yet information on most raptors in this area is lacking. Along with the rest of the region, Botswana has seen a rise in poisoning incidences which have decimated vulture populations and threaten other scavenging raptor species. As a result, seven out of the nine sub-Saharan species of vulture are now at risk of extinction. The lappet-faced vulture Torgos tracheliotus exists at very low densities in comparison with other African vultures and in 2015 was up-listed to “Endangered” by the IUCN because of its recent rapid decline. Although it is one of the most commonly seen vultures in Botswana and is widespread across the continent, very little is currently known about its ecology. This thesis aims to provide information on how raptors and particularly vultures are faring in Botswana, the possible threats that they face in this region and how we can use ecological information to alleviate these threats by better protecting these species. I repeated transect surveys of raptors in northern Botswana that were first conducted 20 years ago to investigate changes in abundance of raptor species that were included in the original surveys. I used data for 29 raptor species to compare abundance between the two surveys and found that 14 species (48%) had experienced significant declines of between 37% and 97%, and that overall, 18 species had declined by >50%; three of which were vulture species. When I compared the overall trend between the two surveys, I found a 40% decline in total abundance of all raptors. Only three species (all eagles) showed significant increases in abundance, but these were small (6-15%). I then went on to explore changes in abundance inside and outside of protected areas. In contrast to what was anticipated, I found that only two species showed significantly different trends (both eagles). These trends differed, with one species showing larger declines outside of protected areas than inside of them, and the other species increasing outside of protected areas but remaining stable inside of them. The findings suggest that Botswana raptor populations are declining in-line with global raptor populations and that vultures may be equally at risk in Botswana as in other parts of Africa. Protected areas do not appear to act as a buffer for declines for most raptor species, which suggests that drivers of decline are acting in equal measure inside and outside of protected areas. Furthermore, that drivers of decline are indiscriminate of individual species life history and ecological traits, due to declines occurring across a spectrum of species groups. Elevated lead (Pb) levels caused by the ingestion of spent hunting ammunition are of considerable concern to many species of scavenging birds around the world. The importance of Pb for scavenging raptors in Africa however remains under investigated. I therefore explored the association between blood Pb levels (BLLs) of the critically endangered African white-backed vulture Gyps africanus and hunting activity in Botswana. From 566 individuals tested, around 33% had elevated BLLs above those associated with background exposure. Higher BLLs were associated with samples taken inside of the hunting season and from within hunting areas. Additionally, there was a significant interaction between hunting season and areas, with Pb levels declining more steeply between hunting and non-hunting seasons within hunting areas rather than outside of them. Thus, the results are consistent with the suggestion that elevated BLLs in African white-backed vultures are associated with recreational hunting. Pb is known to be highly toxic to scavenging birds and so it is recommended that Pb ammunition in Botswana is phased out as soon as possible to help protect this rapidly declining group of birds. However, a regional ban would be necessary in order to protect vultures from Pb from hunting across their entire range. GPS tracking data from 14 adult lappet-faced vultures Torgos tracheliotos tracked in Botswana from 2012 to 2017 were used to investigate movement ecology. The GPS tags provided information on overall population home range estimates, as well as on home ranges of breeding and non-breeding birds within different breeding seasons. All vultures ranged widely across the region, regularly crossing international borders. The largest minimum convex polygon (100% MCP) range for an individual bird was almost 700 000 km2 . Within the breeding season, 95% and 50% kernel home range estimates (KDE) were significantly different for breeding and non-breeding birds, with home ranges of breeding birds being up to ten times smaller than those of non-breeding birds. Outside of the breeding season, these differences remained but were less striking. Despite large differences in ranging behaviour, use of protected areas (e.g. amount of GPS fixes within protected areas) by breeders and nonbreeders did not differ, either during the breeding season or in the subsequent non-breeding season. However, actual selection of protected and non-protected areas (e.g. use of protected areas according to their availability) did differ for both breeders and non-breeders. This study suggests that conservation strategies need to be different in order to protect different sectors of a population (which I termed ‘full-spectrum’ protection) over different seasons (e.g. ‘fullcycle’ protection). For wide-ranging species, targeted conservation may be the only way to ensure population survival whilst working within practical conservation constraints. The study of breeding and non-breeding populations will assist in designing successful conservation approaches for many species in decline, particularly those that range widely. Because vultures range over vast areas, they are difficult to protect. Using the lappet-faced vulture GPS data, I explored whether Vulture Safe Zones (VSZs) could be useful for vulture conservation in Africa. VSZs are currently being used in Asia to assist the recovery of three Gyps vulture populations that were driven to near extinction due to veterinary drug – diclofenac, in carrion. To explore whether VSZs would work for African vultures I identified areas of highest use by counting GPS fixes of each individual within each 1-degree gridsquare (DGS) within Botswana (total of 59 DGSs), and then using the mean % of use for each DGS to identify the five top scoring DGSs which would form the VSZ (an area of c. 50,000 km2 ). This was performed for three different groups within the population: 1) all individuals, 2) active breeders and 3) non-breeders. On evaluating the differences between the protection of GPS fixes offered by VSZs for each bird group, the best protection was offered by VSZs targeting breeding birds, at around 80% cumulative protection of their total movements in Botswana, as well as a high level of individual protection. VSZs aimed at protecting non-breeders and all individuals, protected 35% less of their movements in Botswana than VSZs for breeders, as well as offering much less individual protection. Thus, VSZs aimed at protecting breeding birds were most effective and could be a viable conservation tool for adult lappet-faced vultures (or similarly wide-ranging) species in Africa. Further investigations using larger sample sizes should be used within the framework provided in this study to evaluate the potential efficacy of VSZs for protecting African vultures. The findings of this study show that raptors in Botswana are in dire need of conservation attention, but that conservation strategies need to be carefully considered and aimed at achieving ‘full-cycle’ and ‘full-spectrum’ protection of populations. To achieve for African vultures and other wide-ranging species, this will likely require approaches most similar to those suggested for migratory species. Additionally, a move towards protecting ‘greater ecosystems’ e.g. managing wider landscapes outside of protected areas is most likely to be a more realistic step toward protecting wide ranging species and declining global biodiversity in the face of rapidly increasing human pressures across the continent.

As top predators birds of prey are excellent bioindicators for any environment. The community is divided into four orders (Cathartiformes, Accipitriformes, Falconiformes and Strigiformes), presenting great diversity of species. Many disappear with ecosystems changes, and habitat loss is the main cause of extinctions. South America is the continent with the greatest richness of raptors, and only in Brazil 98 species have been recorded. The degradation of some biomas, however, has caused the local extinction of raptors with great ecological requirements. The Atlantic Forest, which has bit more than 10% of its forest cover still preserved, has suffered along almost its entire length the loss of some species which are very sensible to human impacts, such as Harpia harpyja and Morphnus guianensis. In the northwestern region of Rio Grande do Sul, forest loss was significant and with it much of the fauna that originally inhabited the area. Given protected area establishments and connection with the extensive forests of Misiones (Argentina), some places still have many raptors rare or regionally endangered. It is the case of Turvo State Park ( Parque Estadual do Turvo - PET) and the Indigenous Land of Guarita ( Terra Indígena do Guarita - TIG), which are distant only 15 km, in a fragmented landscape, with forest patches under different attributes and different mosaics. In this context we sought to identify how the community of raptors responds to the factors presented in the fragments under different conditions. Through specific methodology for diurnal raptors we also sampled the situation of the community in TIG. Fourteen fragments and seven points were sampled in the TIG. The data of TIG were compared to those found in a survey with the same methodology in PET. The results showed the only factor that influences the richness and the frequency of occurrence of raptors in the fragments is the area. Factors as isolation (distance between a fragment and PET or TIG), quantity of forest cover in the mosaic and the form of the fragment were not significant. This is probably given by the great capacity of dispersion of birds of prey, differing from others groups of fauna. The raptors community of TIG presented very similar results to that found in PET. We emphasize some inedited and conservation relevance records for TIG, such as Sarcoramphus papa, Leptodon cayanensis and Spizaetus melanoleucus. Even if TIG is in a context less favorable to conservation when compared to PET, our results shows the importance of the indigenous area for the conservation of the raptors of the region. Once raptors require large areas, are territorial, move easily and have an aversion to disturbances, large fragments offers better conditions of surviving than small ones, especially for species with larger ecological needs. Thus, strategies that involve the preservation of large forest fragments in the northwestern region are fundamental for the preservation of the community of birds of prey of the Alto Uruguay Forest.
Como predadores de topo as aves de rapina são excelentes bioindicadores para qualquer ambiente. A comunidade divide-se em quatro ordens (Cathartiformes, Accipitriformes, Falconiformes e Strigiformes), apresentando grande diversidade de espécies. Muitas desaparecem com a alteração dos ecossistemas, sendo a perda de hábitat a principal causa de extinções. A América do Sul é o continente com maior riqueza de rapinantes, e só no Brasil já foram registradas 98 espécies. A degradação de alguns biomas, no entanto, tem ocasionado a extinção local de rapinantes com grandes requerimentos ecológicos. A Mata Atlântica, que tem pouco mais de 10% de sua cobertura florestal ainda preservada, tem sofrido ao longo de quase toda sua extensão a perda de algumas espécies que são bastante sensíveis a impactos antrópicos, como Harpia harpyja e Morphnus guianensis. Na região noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul a perda de florestas foi significativa e com ela grande parte da fauna que originalmente habitava a área. Dado o estabelecimento de áreas protegidas e a conexão com as extensas florestas de Misiones (Argentina), alguns locais ainda possuem vários rapinantes raros ou regionalmente ameaçados de extinção. É o caso do Parque Estadual do Turvo (PET) e da Terra Indígena do Guarita (TIG), que distam-se apenas 15 km numa paisagem fragmentada com remanescentes florestais sob diferentes atributos e em diferentes mosaicos. Nesse contexto procuramos identificar como a comunidade de aves de rapina responde aos fatores apresentados através de fragmentos em diferentes condições. Através de metodologia específica para rapinantes diurnos amostramos também a situação da comunidade de rapinantes na TIG. Foram amostrados 14 fragmentos e sete pontos na TIG. Os dados da TIG foram comparados àqueles encontrados em um estudo usando a mesma metodologia no PET. Os resultados demonstram que o único fator que influencia na riqueza e frequência de ocorrência de rapinantes nos fragmentos é a área. Fatores como isolamento (distancia entre um fragmento e o PET ou a TIG), quantidade de cobertura florestal no mosaico e forma do fragmento não foram significativos. Isso provavelmente se dá em função da grande capacidade dispersiva das aves de rapina, diferindo de outros grupos da fauna. A comunidade de aves de rapina da TIG apresentou-se muito semelhante àquela encontrada no PET. Destacamos alguns registros inéditos e de relevância conservacionista para a TIG, tais como Sarcoramphus papa, Leptodon cayanensis e Spizaetus melanoleucus. Apesar da TIG estar em um contexto menos favorável à conservação quando comparada ao PET, nossos resultados demonstram a importância da área indígena para a conservação dos rapinantes da região. Uma vez que rapinantes necessitam de grandes áreas, são territorialistas, deslocam-se com facilidade e apresentam aversão a perturbações, fragmentos grandes oferecem melhores condições de sobrevivência do que os pequenos, especialmente para as espécies com maiores necessidades ecológicas. Assim, estratégias que envolvam a preservação de grandes remanescentes florestais na região noroeste são fundamentais para a preservação da comunidade de aves de rapina da Mata do Alto Uruguai.

Raptor predation was studied by direct observation of sparrowhawks, peregrines, and merlins, hunting a known prey population, and subsequent recovery of kills. Raptor predation was shown to be the most significant cause of mortality in most wader species. Kleptoparasitism of raptors carrying prey, by carrion crows, significantly increased the over winter mortality of some waders. Redshank populations were most affected by raptor predation; over 50% of the total population and over 90% of the juvenile population were taken in two winters. No selection for body size in redshank was found, but juveniles were more likely to be killed by raptors. This was a consequence of adult redshank risk-averse foraging, and excluding juveniles from low-risk and low-feeding profitability areas. Juveniles, even though feeding in a relatively profitable area compared to adults, still showed risk-prone foraging within that area. Flocking reduced an individual redshank's probability of being killed by a raptor. Larger flocks were preferentially attacked, but an attack was significantly more likely to succeed on a smaller flock. Within a larger flock a redshank was less at risk through the 'dilution' effect, vigilance effects (which were shown to be a direct consequence of flock size) and probably also the 'confusion' effect. Redshank did not gain any foraging benefits within larger flocks. Reduced individual risk of predation appeared to be the main reason for flocking. Redshank responded differently when attacked in a similar way by the three species of raptor. During an attack the probability of capture depended on the escape response. The response that was most likely to lead to escape from a sparrowhawk was most likely to lead to capture on peregrine attack, showing that raptor discrimination was an important determinant of over-winter survival.

Este relatório tem como base o estágio curricular desenvolvido na clínica veterinária Vetolaias, como culminar do Mestrado Integrado em Medicina Veterinária da Universidade de Évora, na área de clínica de animais exóticos e de companhia, sob a orientação do Dr. Hugo Lopes. O relatório é composto por duas partes: descrição das atividades desenvolvidas nas várias áreas clínicas e um breve tratamento estatístico das mesmas; revisão bibliográfica subordinada ao tema pododermatite ulcerativa em aves e mamíferos exóticos, seguida do relato e discussão de casos clínicos, acerca dessa patologia. A pododermatite afeta sobretudo aves de rapina e de capoeira, coelhos domésticos e porquinhos-da-índia. Esta patologia varia de uma condição facilmente tratável através de tratamento conservativo, até uma doença severa, que requer tratamento cirúrgico. As recorrências são comuns e as lesões podem atingir ossos e tendões e originar danos irreversíveis. A correção dos fatores predisponentes é fundamental, quer para o tratamento, quer na prevenção desta patologia; Abstract: Exotic and small animal practice - ulcerative pododermatitis in birds and exotic mammals This report is based on the curricular internship developed at Vetolaias Veterinary clinic, as culmination of the Integrated Master in Veterinary Medicine, University of Évora, in the clinical area of exotic and domestic animals, under the supervision of Dr. Hugo Lopes. The report consists in two parts: a description of clinical activities in various medical specialties, as well as a brief statistical analysis; literature review entitled Ulcerative pododermatitis in birds and exotic mammals, preceded by the presentation and discussion of clinical cases about this pathology. Ulcerative pododermatitis mainly affects birds of prey and poultry, as well as domestic rabbits and guinea pigs. This foot condition may vary from an easily treatable condition by a conservative treatment, to a severe disease requiring surgical treatment. Recurrences are common and injuries can reach bones and tendons causing irreversible damage. The correction of predisposing factors is crucial either for the treatment or prevention of this disease.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2005-06-14Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:00:00Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 zilio_f_me_rcla.pdf: 677952 bytes, checksum: 730aacd8d898fa3703faa38025012043 (MD5)
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)
Duas espécies só podem coexistir durante um longo período de tempo se diferirem em alguns aspectos ecológicos. Essas são premissas do conceito de nicho ecológico de uma espécie. Falco sparverius e Athene cunicularia são aves de rapina de ocorrência comum na maioria da região neotropical. Usualmente encontradas em simpatria, ocorrem em ambientes abertos, com pouca vegetação e apresentam uma dieta similar, baseada em insetos, e comportamentos de caça semelhantes. Os ambientes costeiros do Rio Grande do Sul são sistemas frágeis, protegidos pela legislação nacional e pouco estudados. Os objetivos deste estudo são analisar como estas espécies segregam ecologicamente no ambiente em questão, avaliando as dimensões trófica, espacial e temporal de nicho. Adicionalmente, objetiva-se contribuir para o conhecimento da ecologia destas espécies. Entre março/2000 e janeiro/2004 foram realizadas 31 excursões mensais à área de estudo quando se coletaram pelotas de regurgitação e restos de presas. Realizaram-se ainda observações de captura de presas, análise de comportamento circadiano e uso de hábitat de F. sparverius e A. cunicularia. Corroborando outros estudos, ambas espécies mostraram-se predadores generalistas e oportunistas, consumindo predominantemente invertebrados, com baixo consumo de vertebrados, havendo, aparentemente, variação sazonal na dieta.
Two species can coexist during a long time period only if both differ in some ecological aspect. This is a premise of the ecological niche theory. Falco sparverius and Athene cunicularia are two most common raptors in the neotropical region. Usually sympatric, these species inhabit open countries, with few vegetation and have similar diets, including mainly insects, and similar foraging behaviors. The coastal habitats of Rio Grande do Sul are fragile and poorly studied ecosystems under Brazilian legislation protection. This study aims to analyze how these species segregate themselves in coastal habitats by investigating the trophic, spatial and temporal niche dimensions. Additionally, it is our intention to contribute to knowledge of the ecology of these species. Between March/2000 and January/2004, 31 monthly field expeditions were conducted to the study area during which pellets and prey remains were collected. Further, captures attempts were recorded and daily behavior and foraging habitat use of the F. sparverius and A. cunicularia were analyzed. Corroborating previous studies, both species showed to be generalist and opportunist predators, eating mainly invertebrates, with little vertebrate consumption, having, apparently, seasonal variation in their diet.

Orientador: Marco Aurélio Pizo Ferreira
Banca: José Carlos Motta Júnior
Banca: Roberto Goitein
Resumo: Duas espécies só podem coexistir durante um longo período de tempo se diferirem em alguns aspectos ecológicos. Essas são premissas do conceito de nicho ecológico de uma espécie. Falco sparverius e Athene cunicularia são aves de rapina de ocorrência comum na maioria da região neotropical. Usualmente encontradas em simpatria, ocorrem em ambientes abertos, com pouca vegetação e apresentam uma dieta similar, baseada em insetos, e comportamentos de caça semelhantes. Os ambientes costeiros do Rio Grande do Sul são sistemas frágeis, protegidos pela legislação nacional e pouco estudados. Os objetivos deste estudo são analisar como estas espécies segregam ecologicamente no ambiente em questão, avaliando as dimensões trófica, espacial e temporal de nicho. Adicionalmente, objetiva-se contribuir para o conhecimento da ecologia destas espécies. Entre março/2000 e janeiro/2004 foram realizadas 31 excursões mensais à área de estudo quando se coletaram pelotas de regurgitação e restos de presas. Realizaram-se ainda observações de captura de presas, análise de comportamento circadiano e uso de hábitat de F. sparverius e A. cunicularia. Corroborando outros estudos, ambas espécies mostraram-se predadores generalistas e oportunistas, consumindo predominantemente invertebrados, com baixo consumo de vertebrados, havendo, aparentemente, variação sazonal na dieta
Abstract: Two species can coexist during a long time period only if both differ in some ecological aspect. This is a premise of the ecological niche theory. Falco sparverius and Athene cunicularia are two most common raptors in the neotropical region. Usually sympatric, these species inhabit open countries, with few vegetation and have similar diets, including mainly insects, and similar foraging behaviors. The coastal habitats of Rio Grande do Sul are fragile and poorly studied ecosystems under Brazilian legislation protection. This study aims to analyze how these species segregate themselves in coastal habitats by investigating the trophic, spatial and temporal niche dimensions. Additionally, it is our intention to contribute to knowledge of the ecology of these species. Between March/2000 and January/2004, 31 monthly field expeditions were conducted to the study area during which pellets and prey remains were collected. Further, captures attempts were recorded and daily behavior and foraging habitat use of the F. sparverius and A. cunicularia were analyzed. Corroborating previous studies, both species showed to be generalist and opportunist predators, eating mainly invertebrates, with little vertebrate consumption, having, apparently, seasonal variation in their diet
Mestre

Rotas por veículos foram realizadas para que a riqueza, a abundância e o uso do habitat por rapinantes diurnos no Parque Estadual Veredas do Peruaçu (30.702 ha), Minas Gerais, fosse estudada. Onze rotas foram selecionadas e distribuídas em dois habitats: cerrado (n=6) e uma associação entre vereda e cerrado (n=5). O estudo foi realizado entre setembro de 2010 e julho de 2011 por três observadores na carroceria de um veículo 4x4 dirigido a uma velocidade média de 20km/h, totalizando 2772 km percorridos. Ao longo das transecções foram obtidos 681 registros (0,24 rapinantes/km), referentes à 20 espécies, contudo, Falco peregrinus foi registrado ao longo das amostragens ad libitum e elevou a riqueza. As cinco espécies mais comuns foram Heterospizias meridionalis, Caracara plancus, Milvago chimachima, Rupornis magnirostris e Falco femoralis, as quais totalizaram aproximadamente 20% da riqueza local e 80% de todos os registros. As cinco espécies mais raras (Leptodon cayanensis, Elanus leucurus, Accipiter bicolor, Micrastur semitorquatus e Falco sparverius), juntas, representaram menos de 1% das detecções. As aves de rapina foram mais abundantes ao longo da estação chuvosa (n=438), se comparada à seca (n=243). As veredas apresentaram maior riqueza (19 contra 10 taxa) e quase três vezes mais registros (n=466; 0,36 rapinantes/km) que o cerrado (n=215; 0,14 rapinantes/km). O número de detecções computadas para as manhãs foi maior do que as anotadas para as tardes. Baseado no ΔAICc, os modelos que melhor explicaram a riqueza e abundância dos rapinantes continham todas as três variáveis independentes (habitat, estação e período do dia). Rotas por veículos aparentaram ser indicadas para estudos com rapinantes em habitats similares a savanas. O cerrado local apresentou menor riqueza e abundância se comparado às veredas, entretanto, o habitat ocupa grandes proporções e deve possuir importante papel na conservação dos rapinantes. A vereda delimita o parque ao norte e nela foram registradas espécies restritas ao ambiente, como a águia-cinzenta (Urubitinga coronata), taxon mundialmente ameaçado de extinção. Tal fato eleva a importância do habitat para o grupo e, consequentemente, para toda a comunidade. Sugere-se que o parque tenha sua área aumentada em sua porção norte, considerando que, adicionalmente, grande parte da água corrente provém desta porção.
Raptors were surveyed by road transects in order to assess local species richness, abundance and habitat use in Parque Estadual Veredas do Peruaçu (30,702 ha), a reserve that lies in the Cerrado Region of southeastern Brazil. Eleven road transects of 7km each were delimited in two different habitats: cerrado (n=6) and an associated vereda-cerrado (n=5). Transects were sampled between September 2010 and July 2011 by three observers on the back of a 4WD pickup truck, driven at an average speed of 20km/h - total of 2772 km. There were computed 681 records along road transects (0.24 raptors/km), belonging to 20 species. One other species (Falco peregrinus) was recorded exclusively along ad libitum sampling. The five most common raptors were Heterospizias meridionalis, Caracara plancus, Milvago chimachima, Rupornis magnirostris and Falco femoralis, which totalized approximately 20% of local richness and 80% of all records. The five rarest raptors in the study area (Leptodon cayanensis, Elanus leucurus, Accipiter bicolor, Micrastur semitorquatus and Falco sparverius), together, represented less than 1% of all records. Raptors were more abundant during rainy season (n=438) than during dry season (n=243). The veredas presented higher species richness (19 against 10 taxa) and almost three times more records (n=466; 0.36 raptors/km) than the cerrado (n=215; 0.14 raptors/km). Mornings held higher number of records when compared to afternoons. Based on ΔAICc the models that better explained species richness and raptors\' abundance had all three explanatory variables (habitat, season and day period) considered. Road transects seemed to be recommended for surveys in savannah like habitats. The local cerrado presented lower raptor richness and abundance when compared to the vereda, however it occupies most of the region and it should have an important role on raptors\' conservation. The vereda delimit the reserve northern boundaries and it holds some locally restricted taxa, like the Crowned Eagle (Urubitinga coronata) a species globally threatened of extinction. This makes the habitat even more important for these species and, consequently, to local ecological community. The fact that the vereda is protected only by one margin is a worrying issue and it is suggested that the reserve boundaries augment northwards, once important water supply also comes from there.

Despite their environmental benefits, wind farms, have attracted controversy with regard to their impacts on birds. These impacts include collision risks, direct and indirect habitat loss and barrier effects. The main objectives of this study were to determine whether the Baie-des-Sables wind farm, located on the south shore of the St-Lawrence River, is having an impact upon the spring migration of raptors. Emphasis was placed on comparing the differences between both behaviour and abundance of migrating raptors between the wind farm and a contr9l area. Three aspects of behaviour were recorded; altitude, change in direction and flight type. No significant differences were found between the wind, farm area and the control area with respect to migratory behaviour and abundance of any species. Low-lying topography and the fact most migratory raptors flew above blade height likely explain why no differences were found between the wind farm and control area.

La vision est certainement le sens le plus développé chez les rapaces, souvent cités comme les vertébrés possédant la plus grande acuité visuelle. Pourtant, les rapaces figurent parmi les victimes les plus fréquentes des collisions avec des éoliennes et autres dispositifs anthropiques. Etant donné les enjeux de conservation et le coût des opérations de conservation, il est indispensable de mieux comprendre comment les capacités sensorielles des rapaces affectent leur technique de recherche alimentaire et les interactions avec les dispositifs anthropiques (par exemple jusqu’à quelle altitude/distance les vautours peuvent-ils être détecter les charniers et les obstacles potentiels et comment optimiser les mesures de gestion des habitats ?). En ce qui concerne l'olfaction, le postulat ancien que les oiseaux en général ont une olfaction quasi nulle est réfuté grâce à la publication récente d’expériences qui montrent le contraire chez plusieurs espèces d’oiseaux, des passereaux aux oiseaux marins. L’olfaction est-elle vraiment un sens « manquant » chez les rapaces? Pourquoi seuls les vautours américains auraient-ils développé un sens aigu de l’olfaction ? Notre projet d’étude de l’écologie sensorielle des rapaces repose principalement sur de test de conditionnement avec renforcement, conduits sur des oiseaux issus de plusieurs parcs zoologiques de France. L’originalité de notre projet serait de combiner des expériences de vision et d’olfaction, sur une grande diversité d’espèces (Vautours, Buses, Milans), d’origine phylogénétique, de régimes alimentaires et de technique de recherche alimentaire différents, à la fois au sol et en vol. La première étape aura lieu en conditions contrôlées en volières, avec des expériences de conditionnement opérant après dressage : réponses des oiseaux à différents stimuli visuels et odeur. Dans un deuxième temps des expériences en vol pourront être menées, sur des oiseaux dressés à effectuer des vols libres, dont les mouvements précis peuvent être suivis en 3 dimensions par des balises GPS couplées à des accéléromètres et des caméras vidéos. Il serait alors possible de connaître précisément les capacités sensorielles utilisées pour la recherche alimentaires de chaque espèce et d’analyser les comportements de vol en lien avec l'aérologie
The vision is certainly the most developed sense in raptors, and these birds are cosidered as the vertebrates with the greatest visual acuity. However, raptors are among the most frequent victims of collisions with wind turbines and other human features. Given the conservation issues and the cost of conservation operations , it is essential to understand how sensory abilities of raptor affect their foraging ecology and interactions with human features (eg at which altitude / distance vultures can detected graves and potential obstacles and how optimize the measure of habitats management). But vision is not the only sense that raptor may have. Olfaction in birds was historically neglected, but recent evidence suggests that many bird species, from passerines to seabirds, use olfaction. Consequently, it make sense that olfaction may lead some behaviours in raptor too. To date however olfaction has been searched and shown only in the American vultures. Our project aims to study the sensory ecology of raptors based primarily on captive animals and condition protocols. The originality of our project is to combine the experience of vision and olfaction, on a wide variety of raptor species present in French zoos, with different phylogenetic origin, diets, and different foraging ecologies. The first step will takes place under controlled aviaries conditions, with operant conditioning experiments: responses of birds to different visual and odor stimuli. In a second phase, flight experiments will be conducted on birds trained to perform free flights, whose precise movements can be tracked in three dimensions by GPS tags coupled with accelerometers and cameras videos. It would then be possible to determine precisely the sensory capabilities used for food research for each species, and analyze the flight behaviour with respect to aerology

Orientador: Reginaldo José Donatelli
Resumo: As aves de rapina diurnas são aves predadoras que estão inseridas em três Ordens: Falconiformes, Cathartiformes e Accipitriformes. Com a expansão de áreas urbanas tais aves têm se especializado a utilizar essas paisagens e muitas espécies estabelecem populações. Assim, os objetivos desse estudo foram: 1. Conhecer a taxocenose de rapinantes urbanos; 2. Sugerir uma adequação ao método de pontos de contagem para sua utilização em levantamentos de rapinantes em áreas urbanas e; 3. Verificar se existe sazonalidade e qual o horário de maior atividade de cada espécie no ambiente urbano. O estudo foi realizado no município de Pirajuí/SP, onde foi utilizada a metodologia de pontos de contagem. Entre outubro de 2014 a setembro de 2016 foram realizados levantamentos mensais onde foram amostrados quatro pontos de contagem na zona urbana durante quatro horas cada, sempre durante as primeiras horas da manhã. Foram realizadas também rotas de carro em áreas rurais para complementar a lista de espécies. Foram analisados: riqueza, número de contatos e frequência de ocorrência, horário em que cada espécie é mais frequente, sazonalidade e similaridade com outros estudos. Em geral, foram registradas 23 espécies de aves de rapina, destas, 19 foram registradas dentro da área urbana e 4 espécies nas áreas rurais. Em relação ao número de contatos, foram feitos 2555 contatos com as aves de rapinas durante o estudo, sendo que o número de contatos dos cathartídeos representou aproximadamente 60% de todo... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo)
Abstract: Diurnal birds of prey are predatory birds and are placed in three orders: Falconiformes, Cathartiformes and Accipitriformes. With the expansion of urban areas, these birds have adapted to use these landscapes and many species establish populations. Thus, the objective of this study was: 1. To know the taxocenoses of urban raptors; 2. Suggest an adaptation to the method of points counts for its use in raptor surveys in urban areas and; 3. Check for seasonality and what time of greatest activity for each species in the urban environment. The study was carried out in the city of Pirajuí, state of São Paulo, where the methodology of points counts was adopted. Between October 2014 and September 2016, monthly surveys were carried out, where four points counts were sampled in the urban area for four hours each, always during the first hours of the morning. Car routes were also carried out in rural areas to complement the list of species. We analyzed: richness, number of contacts and frequency of occurrence, time at which each species is more frequent, seasonality and similarity with other studies. In general, 23 species of birds of prey were registered, of these, 19 were recorded within the urban area and 4 species in rural areas. In relation to the number of contacts, 2555 contacts were made with the birds of prey during the study, and the number of cathartídeos contacts represented approximately 60% of all the contacts. Most Falconiformes show greater activity in the first hour af... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)
Mestre

Reliable estimates of species abundance, distribution, and population trajectories are critical in conservation and management. However, for many tropical species that information is missing. We conducted Sharp-shinned Hawk (SSHA) searches during the breeding seasons of 2013, 2014, and 2016 in eight montane forest reserves and their adjacent private lands of Puerto Rico. Further, we developed a maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) of the SSHA’s potential distribution using the following environmental variables: aspect, canopy closure, elevation, rainfall, slope, and terrain roughness. Elevation accounted for 89.8% of model fit, predicting the greatest probability of occurrence (> 60%) at elevations above 900 m. The model estimated 0.6%Puerto Rico (56.1 km ²) has the greatest probability of occurrence. We developed a periodic population matrix model to describe the influence of early life stages on population growth of the Red-tailed Hawk (RTHA) in eastern Puerto Rico. Our results suggest that the RTHA population has an average annual population increase of 5%, with rates differing between highlands (λ_h = 1.05) and 27% lowlands (λ_l = 1.27). Adult survival was the most important population growth parameter, with more effect in highlands (elasticity = 0.86) than in lowlands (elasticity = 0.53). Sensitivity of λ to changes in nestling survival was greater than for other life-stages (sensitivity lowlands = 0.46, sensitivity highlands = 0.48). I developed an open population N-mixture model to estimate abundance, availability, and detection probability of RTHA in the Luquillo Mountains and western Cordillera Central. The abundance estimates were 0.05 RTHA/ha, with an availability of (&phis;) = ~1 RTHA/per survey point and a detection probability (r) = ~0.25. In Luquillo Mountains, abundance was positively influenced by slope and elevation. In the western Cordillera Central, abundance of RTHA was constant across elevation, slope, and canopy closure. Detection probability decreased with increasing slope and wind conditions and showed a gradual small negative decrease with slope with reduced winds conditions. My findings are a contribution to our knowledge of how population traits and ecological constraints imposed by insular environments are influencing distribution, abundance, and population dynamics of raptors to propose management or conservation schemes.

During the 1400s and 1500s, noblemen and noblewoman were expected to participate in falconry. Therefore, I was surprised to discover that there was hardly anything written about the ca. 1500 portrait of James IV of Scotland with a Peregrine falcon, extant only in a copy by Daniel Mytens in 1620-1636. What was written was limited to issues of style and attribution of the copy painted by Mytens. There was nothing at all about the falcon or falconry implements represented in the portrait. To understand the function of this portrait, I considered the material culture and physical practices of falconry, the specific habits and characteristics of the falcon, symbolism of falconry in courtly love poetry, the history and culture of animals, the history and economic state of Scotland, and the actual expenses of the practice as recorded in court documents. I argue that the original watercolor portrait of James IV of Scotland with a Peregrine falcon functioned as a marriage portrait. Specifically, the relationship between James and his female falcon in the portrait served to promise a relationship of mutual trust, respect and loyalty between James and his bride-to-be in the future.

The White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster is widespread in Australia, but has been the subject of conservation concern due to suggested localised declines and extinctions. Regionalised monitoring programmes have addressed some aspects of local concern, however a broader approach is needed to gain an understanding of large-scale processes affecting long-term persistence at scales equivalent to the species Australian range. Ultimately, the ability to predict change in population size over time accurately depends on the scale of analysis. By necessity, ecological studies using direct sampling techniques are often made across spatial scales smaller than a species geographic range and across relatively short time frames. This seems counter-intuitive considering that long-term species persistence is often dependent on large-scale processes. The principal aim of this thesis was to identify historical and contemporary forces responsible for the current pattern of population structure in H. leucogaster. This required a multi-scale approach, and the resulting research uses genetic, distributional and morphometric data. Haliaeetus leucogaster is a large territorial raptor that historically has been associated with coastal regions, lakes and perennial river systems. It has an extensive worldwide distribution from the western coast of India throughout the Indomalaysian region, Papua New Guinea and Australia. By virtue of the species' large-scale distribution, in Australia it is fairly cosmopolitan in its use of habitat and prey types. Haliaeetus leucogaster is monomorphic for adult plumage colouration, but in body size displays reversed sexual dimorphism with female birds significantly larger. A discriminant function based on 10 morphometric characters was 100% effective in discriminating between 19 males and 18 females that had been sexed using molecular genetic methods. Re-classification using a jackknife procedure correctly identified 92% of individuals. The discriminant function should be a viable alternative to genetic sexing or laparoscopy for a large proportion of individuals within the Australo-Papuan range of this species; and can also be used to identify a small proportion of "ambiguous" individuals for which reliable sexing will require those other techniques. I used mitochondrial (mtDNA) control region sequence data to investigate the current distribution of genetic variation in this species at the continental level and within and between specified regional units. I was specifically interested in identifying breaks in genetic connectivity between the west and east of the continent and between Tasmania and the Australian mainland. Overall, genetic diversity was low and there was no significant level of genetic subdivision between regions. The observed genetic distribution suggests that the population expanded from a bottleneck approximately 160 000 years ago during the late Pleistocene, and spread throughout the continent through a contiguous range expansion. There is insufficient evidence to suggest division of the population into different units for conservation management purposes based on the theoretical definition of the 'evolutionary significant unit'. It is clear from the analysis that there are signatures of both historical and contemporary processes affecting the current distribution. Given the suggestion that population expansion has been relatively recent, additional sampling and confirmation of the perceived pattern of population structure using a nuclear marker is recommended to validate conservation monitoring and management at a continental scale. To determine the existence of perceived population declines across ecological time scales, I analysed the Australian Bird Atlas Data to identify the extent and pattern of change in range and density of the species between three Atlas Periods (1901-1976, 1977-1981 and 1998-2001) using a new standardised frequency measure, the Occupancy Index (OI) for 1° blocks (approx. 100km2) across the continent. At the continental scale, there was no significant difference in the spatial extent of occupancy between Atlas Periods. However, there were considerable changes in frequency and range extent between defined regions, and there were distinct differences in the pattern of change in OI between coastal and inland blocks over time. Coastal blocks showed much more change than inland blocks, with a clear increase in the use of coastal blocks, accompanied by a decrease in inland blocks, during the 1977-1981 Atlas Period, relative to both other Atlas Periods. The over-riding factor associated with distributional shifts and frequency changes was apparently climatic fluctuation (the 1977-1981 period showing the influence of El Nino associated drought). The impression of abundance was strongly dependent on both the temporal and spatial scale of analysis. To test for correspondence between geographic variation in morphology and geographic variation in mtDNA I analysed morphometric data from 95 individuals from Australia and Papua New Guinea. First, the degree of morphometric variation between specified regions was determined. This was then compared with the pattern of genetic differentiation. There was a strong latitudinal cline in body dimensions. However, there was no relationship between morphometric variation and patterns of genetic variation at least for mtDNA. Females showed a pattern of isolation by distance based on morphometric characters whereas males did not. Three hypotheses to explain the pattern of morphometric variation were considered: phenotypic plasticity, natural selection and secondary contact between previously isolated populations. I conclude that the pattern of morphometric variation is best explained by the suggestion that there is sufficient local recruitment for natural selection to maintain the observed pattern of morphometric variation. This implies that gene flow may not be as widespread as the mtDNA analysis suggested. In this instance either the relatively recent colonisation history of the species or the inability of the mtDNA marker to detect high mutation rates among traits responsible for maintaining morphometric variation may be overestimating the levels of mixing among regions. As might be expected given the physical scale over which this study was conducted, the pattern of genetic, morphometric and physical distribution varied dependent on the scale of analysis. Regional patterns of genetic variation, trends in occupancy and density and morphometric variation did not reflect continental patterns, reinforcing the contention that extrapolation of data from local or regional levels is often inappropriate. The combined indirect methodologies applied in this study circumvent the restrictions imposed by direct ecological sampling, because they allow survey across large geographic and temporal scales effectively covering the entire Australian range of H. leucogaster. They also allow exploration of the evolutionary factors underpinning the species' current distribution.

The White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster is widespread in Australia, but has been the subject of conservation concern due to suggested localised declines and extinctions. Regionalised monitoring programmes have addressed some aspects of local concern, however a broader approach is needed to gain an understanding of large-scale processes affecting long-term persistence at scales equivalent to the species Australian range. Ultimately, the ability to predict change in population size over time accurately depends on the scale of analysis. By necessity, ecological studies using direct sampling techniques are often made across spatial scales smaller than a species geographic range and across relatively short time frames. This seems counter-intuitive considering that long-term species persistence is often dependent on large-scale processes. The principal aim of this thesis was to identify historical and contemporary forces responsible for the current pattern of population structure in H. leucogaster. This required a multi-scale approach, and the resulting research uses genetic, distributional and morphometric data. Haliaeetus leucogaster is a large territorial raptor that historically has been associated with coastal regions, lakes and perennial river systems. It has an extensive worldwide distribution from the western coast of India throughout the Indomalaysian region, Papua New Guinea and Australia. By virtue of the species' large-scale distribution, in Australia it is fairly cosmopolitan in its use of habitat and prey types. Haliaeetus leucogaster is monomorphic for adult plumage colouration, but in body size displays reversed sexual dimorphism with female birds significantly larger. A discriminant function based on 10 morphometric characters was 100% effective in discriminating between 19 males and 18 females that had been sexed using molecular genetic methods. Re-classification using a jackknife procedure correctly identified 92% of individuals. The discriminant function should be a viable alternative to genetic sexing or laparoscopy for a large proportion of individuals within the Australo-Papuan range of this species; and can also be used to identify a small proportion of "ambiguous" individuals for which reliable sexing will require those other techniques. I used mitochondrial (mtDNA) control region sequence data to investigate the current distribution of genetic variation in this species at the continental level and within and between specified regional units. I was specifically interested in identifying breaks in genetic connectivity between the west and east of the continent and between Tasmania and the Australian mainland. Overall, genetic diversity was low and there was no significant level of genetic subdivision between regions. The observed genetic distribution suggests that the population expanded from a bottleneck approximately 160 000 years ago during the late Pleistocene, and spread throughout the continent through a contiguous range expansion. There is insufficient evidence to suggest division of the population into different units for conservation management purposes based on the theoretical definition of the 'evolutionary significant unit'. It is clear from the analysis that there are signatures of both historical and contemporary processes affecting the current distribution. Given the suggestion that population expansion has been relatively recent, additional sampling and confirmation of the perceived pattern of population structure using a nuclear marker is recommended to validate conservation monitoring and management at a continental scale. To determine the existence of perceived population declines across ecological time scales, I analysed the Australian Bird Atlas Data to identify the extent and pattern of change in range and density of the species between three Atlas Periods (1901-1976, 1977-1981 and 1998-2001) using a new standardised frequency measure, the Occupancy Index (OI) for 1° blocks (approx. 100km2) across the continent. At the continental scale, there was no significant difference in the spatial extent of occupancy between Atlas Periods. However, there were considerable changes in frequency and range extent between defined regions, and there were distinct differences in the pattern of change in OI between coastal and inland blocks over time. Coastal blocks showed much more change than inland blocks, with a clear increase in the use of coastal blocks, accompanied by a decrease in inland blocks, during the 1977-1981 Atlas Period, relative to both other Atlas Periods. The over-riding factor associated with distributional shifts and frequency changes was apparently climatic fluctuation (the 1977-1981 period showing the influence of El Nino associated drought). The impression of abundance was strongly dependent on both the temporal and spatial scale of analysis. To test for correspondence between geographic variation in morphology and geographic variation in mtDNA I analysed morphometric data from 95 individuals from Australia and Papua New Guinea. First, the degree of morphometric variation between specified regions was determined. This was then compared with the pattern of genetic differentiation. There was a strong latitudinal cline in body dimensions. However, there was no relationship between morphometric variation and patterns of genetic variation at least for mtDNA. Females showed a pattern of isolation by distance based on morphometric characters whereas males did not. Three hypotheses to explain the pattern of morphometric variation were considered: phenotypic plasticity, natural selection and secondary contact between previously isolated populations. I conclude that the pattern of morphometric variation is best explained by the suggestion that there is sufficient local recruitment for natural selection to maintain the observed pattern of morphometric variation. This implies that gene flow may not be as widespread as the mtDNA analysis suggested. In this instance either the relatively recent colonisation history of the species or the inability of the mtDNA marker to detect high mutation rates among traits responsible for maintaining morphometric variation may be overestimating the levels of mixing among regions. As might be expected given the physical scale over which this study was conducted, the pattern of genetic, morphometric and physical distribution varied dependent on the scale of analysis. Regional patterns of genetic variation, trends in occupancy and density and morphometric variation did not reflect continental patterns, reinforcing the contention that extrapolation of data from local or regional levels is often inappropriate. The combined indirect methodologies applied in this study circumvent the restrictions imposed by direct ecological sampling, because they allow survey across large geographic and temporal scales effectively covering the entire Australian range of H. leucogaster. They also allow exploration of the evolutionary factors underpinning the species' current distribution.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Australian School of Environmental Studies
Full Text

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigte sich mit zwei Methoden zur Diagnostik der Aspergillose bei Greifvögeln, um neue Erkenntnisse über die Aussagekraft dieser nicht invasiven Diagnostika zu gewinnen. In der ersten Studie wurden bei ausschließlich Aspergillose-positiven Falken (Falco spp.) (n = 110) spezifische Röntgenzeichen an digital erstellten Röntgenbildern systematisch ermittelt und mit den typischen Röntgenzeichen von Papageien mit Erkrankungen des unteren Respirationstrakts verglichen. In der zweiten Studie wurden gesunde (n = 73) und an Aspergillose erkrankte (n = 32) Jagdfalken (Falco spp.) mittels Serumelektrophorese untersucht, Referenzwerte für die gesunden Falken erstellt und mit den Werten der erkrankten Falken verglichen. In beiden Studien stammten die Tiere aus dem Patientengut derselben Klinik. Bei der Auswertung von Röntgenbildern Aspergillose-positiver Falken wurden hauptsächlich subtile Röntgenzeichen beschrieben. Von den 110 Tieren waren 29 (26,4 %) radiologisch vollkommen unauffällig. Die am häufigsten beschriebenen Befunde waren inhomogene Verschattungen des Lungenfeldes (38,2 % laterolateral [ll]) und strichförmige Verschattungen der kaudalen Lungengrenze (30,0 % ll) sowie inhomogene (34,5 % ll; 29,1 % ventrodorsal [vd]) und streifige (26,4 % ll) Verschattungen der Luftsäcke, aber auch eine schlechte Abgrenzbarkeit des Herzschattens in der laterolateralen Projektion (42,7 %). Im Vergleich zu an Papageien mittels konventioneller Projektionsradiographie durchgeführten Studien war der Anteil an subtilen Röntgenzeichen geringer und der Anteil an massiven Röntgenzeichen größer. Verglichen mit Referenzwerten diverser Greifvogelspezies aus der Literatur zeigten die Referenzwerte der gesunden Falken dieser Studie unter Verwendung des hochauflösenden Elektrophoresesystems SAS 1 unit (Helena, Saint Leu La Forest, Frankreich) relativ niedrige Gesamtproteinwerte und relativ hohe Präalbuminwerte auf. Bei den 32 Serumproben der an Aspergillose erkrankten Falken ließ sich im Gegensatz zu den 73 Serumproben der gesunden Falken ein signifikant erniedrigter Totalalbuminwert (Albumin + Präalbumin) sowie ein hoch signifikant erniedrigter Präalbuminwert mittels Serumelektrophorese feststellen. Obwohl die Falken meist schon in frühen Krankheitsstadien vorgestellt wurden und die Diagnostik in diesen Stadien besonders schwierig ist, konnten mit beiden Untersuchungsmethoden von gesunden Tieren differierende Befunde erhoben werden. Diese in Zusammenhang mit Aspergillose erhobenen Befunde wichen jedoch teilweise deutlich von den in der Literatur beschriebenen „typischen“ Befunden bei an Aspergillose erkrankten Vögeln ab. Dies kann damit erklärt werden, dass die meisten vergleichbaren Studien an als Heimtiere gehaltenen Papageien oder gefangen gehaltenen Zoovögeln (von Falken abweichende Haltungsform, Anatomie und Physiologie sowie Leistungsniveau) und mit unterschiedlicher Technik (digitale versus konventionelle Projektionsradiographie, unterschiedliche Elektrophoresesysteme und Verwendung von Serum anstelle von Plasma) durchgeführt wurden. Die digitale Projektionsradiographie kann aufgrund ihrer schonenden, einfachen und schnellen Durchführbarkeit sowohl den Vogelmedizin spezialisierten Institutionen als auch den Kleintierpraktikern uneingeschränkt empfohlen werden. Die Proteinelektrophorese kann bis zum heutigen Zeitpunkt nur bedingt für den Praktiker, wohl aber für spezialisierte Institutionen bei Beachtung aller Besonderheiten als zusätzliches Diagnostikum empfohlen werden
The present study concentrates on two methods for diagnosing birds of prey with aspergillosis with the intent to increase the knowledge of the validity of these non-invasive diagnostic methods. In the first study, specific radiographic signs of digitally created radiographs of falcons (Falco spp.) which were exclusively positive for aspergillosis (n = 110) were systematically analyzed and compared to the typical radiographic signs of parrots with diseases of the lower respiratory tract. In the second study, healthy falcons (n = 73) and falcons affected with aspergillosis (n = 32) (Falco spp.) were examined by using serum protein electrophoresis in order to create reference values for healthy falcons and compare them with the values of the affected falcons. In both studies, the animals were patients of the same clinic. While evaluating the radiographs of the falcons with aspergillosis, mainly subtle radiographic signs were described. Radiographically within normal limits were 29 (26.4%) of the 110 animals. The most commonly reported findings were inhomogeneous increased radiodensity of the lung area (38.2% laterolateral [ll]), line-shaped shadowings of the caudal lung border (II 30.0%) as well as an inhomogeneous (34.5% ll, 29.1% ventrodorsal [vd]) and streaky (26.4% II) radiodensity of the air sacs, but also a poor delineation of the cardiac silhouette in the laterolateral projection (42.7%). Compared to studies performed on parrots by conventional radiography, the portion of subtle radiographic signs was lower and the portion of severe signs was higher. Compared to reference values of various raptor species from the literature, this study, which made use of the high-resolution electrophoresis SAS 1 unit (Helena, Saint Leu La Forest, France), revealed relatively low values for total proteins and relatively high values for prealbumin in the reference values of the healthy falcons. The 32 serum samples of the falcons suffering from aspergillosis showed a significantly reduced total albumin (albumin + prealbumin) level and a highly significantly reduced prealbumin level compared to the 73 serum samples of healthy falcons. Although the falcons were for the most part already brought to the clinic in one of the early stages of the disease, when diagnosing aspergillosis is particularly difficult, both examination methods revealed different results for the healthy and diseased animals. However, the findings related to aspergillosis were in some cases significantly different from those described in the literature as the \"typical\" findings in birds suffering from aspergillosis. This can be explained by the fact that most of the comparable studies were conducted with parrots held as pets or with captive zoo birds (when husbandry, anatomy and physiology, as well as performance level are different from falcons) and with a different technique (digital versus conventional radiography, different electrophoresis systems and the use of serum instead of plasma). The digital radiography can be fully recommended for specialized medical institutions for avian medicine as well as for small animal practitioners because of its easy, rapid and gentle feasibility. To date, the protein electrophoresis can only be recommended with restrictions for practitioners, however for specialized institutions, it can be useful as additional diagnostic tool if all its specific features are taken into account

The expansion of wind power comes with additional risks for bird populations, one of which is the collision with wind turbine components, mainly the rotating blades. In order to mitigate this risk, few systems on the market propose solutions with modules that deter the birds from the wind turbine or trigger the temporary shutdown of the turbines.The thesis seeks to obtain a common view from different stakeholders in order to create a list of requirements that the bird protection systems must have so as to be accepted by all the parties involved in the wind industry in Sweden. In order to meet this objective, interviews were conducted with interested stakeholders. Consequently, the interviews were summarized and common points were extracted to create a list of requirements and additional suggestions.Firstly, a comprehensive literature review was done that has pointed out issues like impacts of wind farms on bird species, especially raptors, causes of bird mortality, environmental legislation in European Union and Sweden, and current solutions on mitigating the risk of collisions with wind turbines onshore. Additionally, the author looked up into the most efficient ways to engage the stakeholders in constructive discussions and develop an easy framework for presenting the requirements.The primary data was collected through interviews with stakeholders representing 12 organizations. In the next steps, the data was analyzed by summarizing each interview and identifying the common and differentiating points in respondents’ views and suggestions over automated bird mitigation systems. The identified points laid the basis for a list of requirements considered important for safe and efficient bird mitigation systems in Sweden. Among others, stakeholders identified that the most crucial issues regarding bird mitigation systems are the response time to shutdown of the turbine, distance from the birds’ species living areas, need of species identification in bad weather conditions and night time and overall financial feasibility of such technologies.

Foram coletadas 137 amostras sanguíneas de 132 espécimes diferentes, pertencentes a sete espécies de Strigiformes (n=92) e onze espécies de Falconiformes (n=45), entre os meses de setembro de 2008 e julho de 2009. As amostras foram submetidas a hemograma completo, pesquisa de hemoparasitos através da avaliação do esfregaço sanguíneo, sexagem através da técnica de PCR e mensuração da atividade de colinesterases plasmáticas através do método de Ellman (1961). Apenas sete corujinhas-do-mato (Megascops choliba) apresentaram hemoparasitos (5,3 % do total de rapinantes). Houve diferença significativa conforme o estado de saúde da ave, sendo que a todos os animais clinicamente hígidos não estavam infectados, porém 20,4% dos animais com desordens clínicas apresentavam hemosporídeos. Quantitativamente, a parasitemia mediana dos animais infectados foi de 3,8 hemácias parasitadas por 10.000 hemácias, um índice de infecção relativamente baixo. A grande maioria dos parâmetros hematológicos não apresentou diferenças estatísticas em função da presença ou ausência de hemoparasitos, o que na maioria dos casos caracterizou uma infecção branda e pouco patogênica. A atividade de colinesterases plasmáticas apresentou uma distribuição normal, com uma média geométrica de 0,8333 micromoles/mL e desvio padrão geométrico de 1,7087 µmols/mL. A atividade de colinesterases plasmáticas apresentou diferenças estatísticas significativas entre Falconiformes (0,5705±1,6497 µmols/mL) e Strigiformes (1,0070±1,5620 µmols/mL). Não houve diferenças significativas entre machos ou fêmeas e adultos ou jovens dentre os Falconiformes ou Strigiformes. Falconiformes não hígidos apresentaram valores surpreendentemente mais baixos do que os clinicamente hígidos. Entre os Strigiformes, os espécimes de cativeiro apresentaram valores mais baixos de atividade de colinesterases plasmáticas do que os de vida livre. A atividade de colinesterases plasmáticas foi significativamente diferente entre os animais com hemoparasitos (mediana geométrica = 2,0132 µmols/mL) e sem hemoparasitos (mediana geométrica = 0,8331 µmols/mL). Este estudo contribui com informações relevantes sobre a ocorrência de hemosporídeos em aves de rapina do Estado de São Paulo, alertando as Instituições sobre a necessidade de monitoração destes protozoários sanguíneos. Além disso, contribui com dados inéditos sobre a atividade de colinesterases plasmáticas em rapinantes.
137 blood samples were collected from 132 different specimen, belonging to seven species of Strigiformes (n=92) and eleven species of Falconiformes (n=45), from September 2008 to July 2009. Samples were submitted to complete hemogram, survey for hemoparasites through evaluation of blood smears, sex identification by PCR and measurement of plasmatic cholinesterases by the method of Ellman (1961). Only seven black-capped-screech-owls (Megascops choliba) were positive for hemoparasites (5,3% of total raptors). There were significative difference according to avian health status; all the clinicaly higid animal were not infected, but 20,4% of animals with clinical desorders presented haemosporidians. Quantitatively, the average parasitemia was 3,8 parasited erythrocytes in 10.000 erythrocytes, a infection rate relatively low. The most of hematologic parameters did not present statistic differences in function of presence or absence of hemoparasites, what in most of the cases characterized a low and not much pathogenic infection. The plasmatic cholinesterase activity presented normal distribution, with geometric average of 0,8333 micromoles/mL and geometric standard deviation of 1,7087 µmols/mL. The plasmatic cholinesterase activity presented statistic differences between Falconiformes (0,5705±1,6497 µmols/mL) and Strigiformes (1,0070±1,5620 µmols/mL). There were not significative differences between males of females and adults or youngs between Falconiformes or Strigiformes. Non-higid Falconiformes presented surprisiling much low values than those clinically higid. Between Strigiformes, the captivity specimens present much lower plasmatic cholinesterase activity values than free ranging animals. The plasmatic cholinesterase activity was signifactively different among animal with hemoparasites (geometric average = 2,0132 µmols/mL) and without hemoparasites (geometric average = 0,8331 µmols/mL). This research contributes with relevant information about the haemosporidian occurence in raptors of State of São Paulo, alerting the Institutions about the necessity of monitorizing haemoprotozoa. Besides that, contributes with unpublished data about the plasmatic cholinesterase activity in raptors.

Traumatology is a very important part of avian medicine, specially for raptor where the ability to fly is a life threatening condition. The aims of actual methods of wings fracture treatment in this species is to achieve a perfect bone rotational and longitudinal alignment and also to maintain a normal bone length to permits a functional return to fly. The actual methods of radius and ulna fractures consist on application of a IM pins in tie-in configuration with a external fixators, but for the weight of the means of fixation there are real risk of implant failure. The technique used in this study is performed by the anatomical connection between the rachis of the secondary remiges and the periostium of the bone, to give more stability and minor weight to the implant. 15 raptors of different size were treated by this method and 13 of them have shown a fibrous callus formation before 15 day and they were able to fly 65 days from surgical reduction of the fracture. This method have revealed cheaper and more simply to do if compared with other utilized to treat analogue fracture.
La traumatologia è una branca molto importante della medicina aviare, specialmente nei rapaci per i quali il volo è una condizione essenziale alla sopravvivenza. Gli attuali metodi di trattamento delle fratture delle ali in queste specie hanno l’obiettivo di ottenere un buon allineamento longitudinale e rotazionale dell’arto, nonché di mantenere la lunghezza del segmento osseo per garantire il ritorno al volo. Le attuali tecniche di riduzione delle fratture del radio e dell’ulna prevedono l’uso di fissatori esterni in configurazione tie-in con un chiodo centromidollare, ma per il peso eccessivo dei mezzi di stabilizzazione delle frattura e della barra di connessione vi sono rischi concreti di cedimento dell’impianto. La tecnica oggetto del presente studio sfrutta la naturale connessione anatomica tra periostio e calamo delle remiganti secondarie per fornire maggiore stabilità e minore peso dell’impianto. Nel presente studio sono stati trattati in totale 15 soggetti con frattura di radio ed ulna e clinicamente sani, 13 dei quali hanno dimostrato la formazione di un callo fibroso entro il 15 giorni dall’intervento e il ritorno al volo entro i 65 giorni dall’intervento. Non solo questa tecnica si è rivelata meno dispendiosa e più semplice da applicare, ma anche più efficace delle tecniche sinora presentate in letteratura.

O urubu-de-cabeça-preta (Coragyps atratus) é uma ave de vida livre com ampla distribuição no Brasil. Esta espécie é comumente encontrada em áreas urbanas concentrando-se em locais de deposição de lixo. O fato de se alimentarem de carcaças em decomposição facilita o contato de urubus-de-cabeça-preta com muitos patógenos. No entanto, ainda não está clara qual a real implicação de muitos desses microrganismos para a saúde dos mesmos. Assim, o objetivo desse estudo foi investigar a ocorrência de alguns patógenos selecionados, avaliar o perfil hematológico e a microbiota cloacal de C. atratus em ambiente urbano. Para isso, amostras de sangue, soro e swab cloacal foram obtidos de 120 urubus de vida-livre capturados na Fundação Parque Zoológico de São Paulo, SP. A prova de soroaglutinação rápida (SAR) foi utilizada na detecção de anticorpos contra Salmonella Pullorum/Gallinarum, Mycoplasma synoviae e M. gallisepticum. O teste de aglutinação em látex (AL) foi utilizado para a pesquisa de antígeno de Cryptococcus neoformans. Foram utilizadas técnicas convencionais de hematologia, microbiologia e testes de sensibilidade microbiana. Das amostras de soro analisadas pela SAR, 15% foram reagentes para M. gallisepticum. Anticorpos contra S. Pullorum/Gallinarum e M. synoviae não foram detectados. Nenhuma amostra foi positiva para C.neoformans ou para hemoparasitas. A média e o desvio padrão dos seguintes valores hematológicos foram obtidos para 61 aves: eritrócitos (1.8x10¹²/L); leucócitos (13,11x10/L); hemoglobina (10,4 g/dL); hematócrito (48,44%); VCM (275,1 fL); HCM (42 pg); CHCM (15,8 g/dL); proteína sérica total (3,76 g/dL); heterófilos (78%); linfócitos (13,5%); eosinófilos (5,4%); monócitos (2,8%); basófilos (0,1%); trombócitos (14,14x10/L). De 75 colônias bacterianas isoladas de 20 swabs cloacais, 78,7% foram Gram-positivas e 21,3% Gram-negativas, sendo Enterococcus sp. o gênero mais frequente. Aproximadamente 86,7% das cepas isoladas foram resistentes a pelo menos um dos antibióticos testados. Cepas de Bacillus sp. e Enterococcus casseliflavus apresentaram resistência a sete dos oito antibióticos testados. Leveduras não foram isoladas em nenhumas das culturas. As informações obtidas nessa pesquisa são de suma importância, uma vez que poucos estudos avaliam o estado de saúde de urubus no mundo.
Black vulture (Coragyps atratus) is a free-living bird widely distributed across Brazil. These birds feed on rotting carcasses and large groups are commonly found in urban areas, including rubbish dumps. By feeding on decomposing carcasses, they are often exposed to innumerous pathogens. However, the role of infectious microorganisms on vultures health still need to be clarify. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of selected infectious agents, the hematological profile and cloacal microbiota of black vulture in urban areas. Therefore, blood, serum and cloacal swabs were obtained from 120 free-living vultures trapped in Fundação Parque Zoológico de São Paulo, SP. The rapid seroagglutination test (RST) was performed for detection of antibodies against Salmonella Pullorum/Gallinarum, M. synoviae and M. gallisepticum. Furthermore, latex agglutination test was used to detect Cryptococcus neoformans \' antigen. Conventional techniques for hematology, microbiology and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed. From the serum samples analyzed by RST, 15% were positive for M. gallisepticum, antibodies against S. Pullorum/Gallinarum and M. synoviae were not detected. None sample was positive to Cryptococcus neoformans or hemoparasites. Mean and standard deviation from the following hematological values were obtained for 61 birds: erythrocytes (1.8x10¹²/L); leukocytes (13.11x10/L); hemoglobin (10.4 g/dL); hematocrit (48.44%); MCV (275,1 fL); MCH (42 pg); MCHC (15,8 g/dL); total serum protein (3.76 g/dL); heterophils (78%); lymphocytes (13.5%); eosinophils (5.4%); monocytes (2.8%); basophils (0,1%); thrombocyte (14.14x10/L). From 75 bacterial colonies isolated from 20 cloacal swabs, 78.7% were Gram-positive and 21.3% were Gram-negative. Enterococcus sp. was the most frequent genus. Approximately 86.7% of the isolated strains were resistant to at least one of the antibiotic tested. Bacillus sp. and Enterococcus casseliflavus strains shown resistance to seven in eight antibiotics tested. Yeasts were not isolated. The information obtained in this research is of paramount important since few studies have been carried out on the vultures health condition in the world.

Orientador: Wesley Rodrigues Silva
Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia
Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T17:36:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Baumgarten_LeandroClaudio_D.pdf: 2505570 bytes, checksum: 605fa921efad6929c5d1ccf17fe35faa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007
Resumo: Aves de rapina são pouco estudadas no Brasil e existem poucas informações sobre os padrões de dinâmica populacional das espécies que ocorrem no país, assim como os fatores que os influenciam. Com o objetivo de caracterizar a dinâmica populacional de rapineiros e como ela é influenciada pela abundância de presas, foi realizado um acompanhamento de 36 meses das populações de aves de rapina e pequenos mamíferos no Parque Nacional das Emas (Mineiros-GO). Além disto, foram coletadas informações sobre os padrões de atividade das presas para caracterizar mais claramente sua disponibilidade para predadores. A amostragem das presas foi realizada em nove estações de captura, cada uma com 24 armadilhas "pitfall" e a abundância de rapineiros foi a avaliada por censo de carro. Foram realizadas 12 coletas de dados com intervalos de dois meses entre si. Não foi verificada variação de abundância em nenhuma das espécies de aves de rapina entre anos, ao longo do estudo, no entanto a maioria delas apresentou grandes flutuações sazonais. Os dados obtidos sugerem que estas variações foram causadas principalmente pela movimentação das aves para dentro e fora da reserva. Para os pequenos mamíferos não foi encontrada variação sazonal significativa, mas durante 2001 foi registrado um grande aumento na abundância das três espécies mais comuns. A espécie de roedor mais abundante, Bolomys lasiurus, apresentou dinâmicas diferenciadas entre algumas estações de captura. Apesar da considerável variação de abundância das presas não foi detectada uma resposta numérica das aves de rapina no PARNA das Emas ao longo dos três anos de estudo. A comparação deste estudo com outros disponíveis na literatura, sugere que amostragens feitas em áreas mais extensas teriam dificuldade em detectar respostas predatórias, porque não seriam capazes de discriminar pequenas concentrações locais das aves de rapina causadas por aumentos pontuais de disponibilidade de presas
Abstract: Birds of prey are poorly studied in Brazil, and there is few information on patterns of population dynamics of species occurring in the country, as well as factor influencing them. We sample bird of prey and small mammals populations for 36 months aiming to describe raptor population dynamics and how it is influenced by prey abundance in Emas National Park (Mineiros - GO). Furthermore, we collect data on prey daily activity patterns to evaluate their availability for predators. Prey monitoring was performed in nine trapping sites, each one with 24 pitfall traps, raptor sampling was evaluated using car census. We did 12 one-month fieldtrips with two months apart. We did not detected abundance variation among years for any raptor species, although most of them showed seasonal fluctuations. Data gathered suggests these population changes were caused mostly by movements to and from the reserve. We did not find any seasonal fluctuations of small mammals, but we record a major increase of abundance for three of the commonest species. The most abundant species, Bolomys lasiurus, showed different population dynamics among trapping sites. We did no detected numerical response of birds of prey in Emas National Park along this three-year sampling. We compare these data with other studies available, and we suggest that sampling performed in larger areas would hardly detect predatory responses, because it would not be able to discern small local concentrations of raptors caused by increase in prey availability
Doutorado
Ecologia
Doutor em Biologia

Dans cette thèse, nous nous intéressons au regard porté par les hommes de l’Antiquité grecque et romaine sur les oiseaux de proie. Nous nous concentrons d’abord sur des questions de classements zoologiques, afin de voir dans quelle mesure il est possible de parler d’une catégorie de rapaces. Nous étudions ensuite la place que tiennent ces oiseaux dans l’imaginaire en cernant l’image culturelle des zoonymes les plus courants. Enfin, la question des rapports que les hommes entretiennent avec les rapaces amène à se demander si les rapaces ne peuvent être rangés (ou dispersés) dans diverses catégories dont la cohérence n’est peut-être pas simplement zoologique
In this thesis, our general aim is to try to know what people thought about birds of prey inGreek and Roman Antiquity. We focus first on zoological classes in order to see in what waywe can speak about raptors as a category. We then study the cultural image for the most usualzoonyms in order to find what place these birds have in the imagination. Lastly, through thequestion of the relationships between humans and raptors, we wonder whether these birdscan’t belong to some other categories whose unity is maybe not only zoological

One of the most important emerging aspects of Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is the Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) aiming to deliver multimedia contents to mobile users more efficiently in point-to-multipoint way. 3GPP also recommends an Application Layer Forward Error Correction (AL-FEC) scheme, especially for MBMS, in order to provide reliable transmission over mobile networks. Due to many emerging FEC schemes, the existing 3GPP standardized systematic fountain Raptor code FEC scheme is considered to be outdated. One of the newly emerged codes, namely RaptorQ, has enhanced an AL-FEC scheme by providing higher protection against packet loss and superior flexibility to meet the growing demand in mobile multicast services. In this work, we provide an extensive device based performance evaluation of RaptorQ FEC codes, specified as RFC 6330 in Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), and notice that the performance always outperforms that of the existing Raptor (RFC 5053) codes in terms of decoding speed, latency and memory. We also include the device based performance comparison of RaptorQ FEC codes in a comparison with other FEC schemes like Supercharged codes and Reed Solomon + Low Density Parity Check codes (RS+ LDPC). Finally, we conduct simulation carried out in the mobile devices for several network parameters like latency, decoding speed and memory in combination with FEC encoding and decoding parameters and investigate that RaptorQ is the best code that suits multicast services.
+46723185198, +4917626686238,+4915166808450

Orientador: José Maurício Barbanti Duarte
Banca: José Eduardo Pereira Wilken Bicudo
Banca: Jorge Luiz Berger Albuquerque
Banca: Paulo Henrique Franceschini
Banca: Elisabeth Criscuolo Urbinati
Resumo: Apesar da radiotelemetria ser considerada uma ferramenta valiosa em estudos ornitológicos, algumas teorias relativas ao impacto de radiotransmissores sobre a estimativa de parâmetros comportamentais, ecológicos e reprodutivos podem ser encontradas em literatura. Com o intuito de avaliar os potenciais efeitos fisiológicos de radiotransmissores do tipo mochila em falcões quiri-quiri (Falco sparverius) de vida livre, oito machos desta espécie foram capturados e divididos em dois grupos: indivíduos marcados com radiotransmissores (aproximadamente 5% do peso vivo, n = 6) e indivíduos controle (anilhados, n = 2). Em seguida, amostras fecais foram coletadas duas horas após a captura (dia −1) e durante os dias 0 (definido como o dia de soltura dos animais), 4, 7, 15, 30, 40 e 55. Previamente às análises laboratoriais, o ensaio imunoenzimático para dosagem de glucocorticóides fecais foi testado empregando procedimentos padrões de validação hormonal (paralelismo, curva de dose-resposta, validação fisiológica e coeficientes de variação inter- e intra-ensaio). Em relação aos machos monitorados, ambos os grupos apresentaram um aumento significativo nos níveis de glucocorticóides fecais durante o dia 0 (P < 0,001), mas as concentrações retornaram aos níveis pré-equipagem após 4 dias da soltura. Além disso, os níveis de glucocorticóides fecais não diferiram significativamente entre os falcões radiomarcados e os anilhados durante os 55 dias de monitoramento (P > 0,05). Embora o número de indivíduos neste estudo seja reduzido, estes resultados sugerem que radiotransmissores do tipo mochila não induzem efeitos persistentes sobre a atividade adrenal de machos de falcões quiri-quiri de vida livre. Considerando a literatura consultada, esta é a primeira pesquisa a analisar os efeitos de radiotransmissores sobre a resposta adrecortical de aves de vida livre.
Abstract: Although radiotelemetry is considered a valuable technique for ornithological field studies, several assumptions have been made about the impact that transmitters may cause on the estimation of behavioral, ecological and reproductive parameters. To assess potential effects of backpack radiotransmitters, we captured and assigned 8 male American kestrels (Falco sparverius) in 2 groups: radio-tagged (n = 6) and control individuals (leg-banded, n = 2). Thereafter, we collected feces two hr after capture (day −1), and subsequently during days 0 (releasing day), 1, 4, 7, 15, 30, 40 and 55. Prior to fecal analysis, EIA corticosterone assay was validated using standard procedures (e.g. parallelism, dose-response curve), and physiological significance of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites was confirmed through adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) challenge, which induce an increase of 4-fold (446.10 ± 60.73 ng/ g) above baseline (114.27 ± 15.23 ng/ g) within 4 hr (P < 0.001). Both groups exhibited a significant increase in fecal glucocorticoids during day 0 (P < 0.001), but concentrations returned to pre-attachment values within 4 days. Fecal glucocorticoid concentrations did not differ between samples of radio-tagged and leg-banded kestrels (P > 0.05). In spite of the small number of monitored subjects, these findings suggested that radiotransmitters did not affect adrenocortical activity in male American kestrel. To our knowledge, this is the first research to evaluate the effects of transmitters on stress responses in free-ranging birds.
Doutor

In our ever more populated world, the rapid expansion and intensification of agriculture is driving worldwide biodiversity loss, and the interactions between production landscapes and wildlife conservation are becoming increasingly important. Farming systems depend on ecosystem services such as biological control, while conservationists are calling for the establishment of conservation initiatives in non-preserve landscapes. Despite this, the goals of agriculture and the goals of predator-conservation are rarely mutual. Here, I demonstrate one of the first examples of a mutually beneficial scenario between agriculture and predator conservation. I used, as a case study, a reintroduction project that translocated individuals of the threatened New Zealand falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae) from the hills of Marlborough into vineyards, to determine if predators can survive within an agricultural landscape while simultaneously providing that landscape with biological control services. Examples of vertebrates providing biological control to agriculture are rare. I show that the presence of falcons in vineyards caused an economically important reduction in grape damage worth over US $230/ ha. Falcon presence caused a 78- 83% reduction in the number of introduced European pest birds, which resulted in a 95% reduction in the damage caused by these species. Falcon presence did not cause a reduction in the abundance of the native silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), but did halve the damage caused by this species. To assess the conservation value of the falcon translocations, I used remote videography, direct observations and prey analysis to measure the behavioural changes associated with the relocation of falcons from their natural habitat in the hills and into vineyards. Falcons in vineyard nests had higher nest attendance, higher brooding rates, and higher feeding rates than falcons in hill nests. Additionally, parents in vineyard nests fed their chicks a greater amount of total prey and larger prey items compared to parents in hill nests. I also found an absence of any significant diet differences between falcons in hill and vineyard habitats, suggesting that the latter may be a suitable alternative habitat for falcons. Because reintroduced juvenile falcons were released in areas devoid of adult falcons, it was possible that they were missing essential training normally provided by their parents. I used direct observations to demonstrate that the presence of siblings had similar effects to the presence of parents on the development of juvenile behaviour, with individuals flying, hunting, and playing more often when conspecifics were present. Finally, through the use of artificial nests and remote videography, I identified that falcons nesting in vineyards are likely to suffer lower predation rates. I also found that falcons in vineyards are predated by a less dangerous suite of animals (such as hedgehogs, Erinaceus europaeus, and avian predators), than their counterparts in the hills, which are predated by more voracious species (such as stoats, Mustela erminea, and feral cats, Felis catus). The work presented in this thesis has also added to the current knowledge of New Zealand falcon breeding behaviour, prey preferences, and behavioural development. Although agricultural regions globally are rarely associated with raptor conservation, and the ability of raptors to control the pests of agricultural crops has not been previously quantified, these results suggest that translocating New Zealand falcons into vineyards has potential for both the conservation of this species, and for providing biological control services to agriculture

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:35:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-07-22Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:46:32Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 pereira_rjg_dr_jabo.pdf: 242711 bytes, checksum: 723f7381e49b4cd2159897db271a8b96 (MD5)
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)
Apesar da radiotelemetria ser considerada uma ferramenta valiosa em estudos ornitológicos, algumas teorias relativas ao impacto de radiotransmissores sobre a estimativa de parâmetros comportamentais, ecológicos e reprodutivos podem ser encontradas em literatura. Com o intuito de avaliar os potenciais efeitos fisiológicos de radiotransmissores do tipo mochila em falcões quiri-quiri (Falco sparverius) de vida livre, oito machos desta espécie foram capturados e divididos em dois grupos: indivíduos marcados com radiotransmissores (aproximadamente 5% do peso vivo, n = 6) e indivíduos controle (anilhados, n = 2). Em seguida, amostras fecais foram coletadas duas horas após a captura (dia −1) e durante os dias 0 (definido como o dia de soltura dos animais), 4, 7, 15, 30, 40 e 55. Previamente às análises laboratoriais, o ensaio imunoenzimático para dosagem de glucocorticóides fecais foi testado empregando procedimentos padrões de validação hormonal (paralelismo, curva de dose-resposta, validação fisiológica e coeficientes de variação inter- e intra-ensaio). Em relação aos machos monitorados, ambos os grupos apresentaram um aumento significativo nos níveis de glucocorticóides fecais durante o dia 0 (P < 0,001), mas as concentrações retornaram aos níveis pré-equipagem após 4 dias da soltura. Além disso, os níveis de glucocorticóides fecais não diferiram significativamente entre os falcões radiomarcados e os anilhados durante os 55 dias de monitoramento (P > 0,05). Embora o número de indivíduos neste estudo seja reduzido, estes resultados sugerem que radiotransmissores do tipo mochila não induzem efeitos persistentes sobre a atividade adrenal de machos de falcões quiri-quiri de vida livre. Considerando a literatura consultada, esta é a primeira pesquisa a analisar os efeitos de radiotransmissores sobre a resposta adrecortical de aves de vida livre.
Although radiotelemetry is considered a valuable technique for ornithological field studies, several assumptions have been made about the impact that transmitters may cause on the estimation of behavioral, ecological and reproductive parameters. To assess potential effects of backpack radiotransmitters, we captured and assigned 8 male American kestrels (Falco sparverius) in 2 groups: radio-tagged (n = 6) and control individuals (leg-banded, n = 2). Thereafter, we collected feces two hr after capture (day −1), and subsequently during days 0 (releasing day), 1, 4, 7, 15, 30, 40 and 55. Prior to fecal analysis, EIA corticosterone assay was validated using standard procedures (e.g. parallelism, dose-response curve), and physiological significance of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites was confirmed through adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) challenge, which induce an increase of 4-fold (446.10 ± 60.73 ng/ g) above baseline (114.27 ± 15.23 ng/ g) within 4 hr (P < 0.001). Both groups exhibited a significant increase in fecal glucocorticoids during day 0 (P < 0.001), but concentrations returned to pre-attachment values within 4 days. Fecal glucocorticoid concentrations did not differ between samples of radio-tagged and leg-banded kestrels (P > 0.05). In spite of the small number of monitored subjects, these findings suggested that radiotransmitters did not affect adrenocortical activity in male American kestrel. To our knowledge, this is the first research to evaluate the effects of transmitters on stress responses in free-ranging birds.

L'exposició a la contaminació ambiental és una de les principals amenaces per a la salut dels ecosistemes i les poblacions silvestres. L'estrès produït per la contaminació pot causar importants alteracions a la fauna, especialment als depredadors com les aus rapinyaires que, d'altra banda, s'utilitzen com espècies sentinelles del seu ecosistema. Comprendre el mecanisme mitjançant el qual els organismes fan front a l'estrès ambiental i s'adapten a un ambient canviant és crucial per a la seva conservació. Amb aquest propòsit, les hormones d'estrès (corticosterona en aus) s'han utilitzat com a biomarcadors d'estrès ambiental. La corticosterona és l'hormona resultant de l'activació de l'eix hipotalàmic-hipofisari-adrenal (HPA), element clau de la resposta d'estrès. L'activació d'aquest eix i el seu correcte funcionament permet als vertebrats mantenir l'homeòstasi i fer front a les pertorbacions del seu ambient. Per tant, detectar alteracions en el funcionament d'aquest eix (com és l'estrès crònic) pot ser utilitzar com un biomarcador de poblacions en risc i oferir informació valuosa sobre l'estat de l'animal i la seva eficàcia biològica. Les plomes són la única matriu capaç de proporcionar una mesura a llarg termini de corticosterona, i per tant de reflexar l'activitat de l'eix HPA, de manera retrospectiva i integrada en el temps. A més, aquesta matriu pot reflectir l'estat intern de contaminació d'una au, essent una eina molt útil per a la biomonitorització de contaminació ambiental. No obstant, al ser una matriu relativament nova, encara existeixen moltes incògnites metodològiques. A més, tot i que els contaminants tenen el potencial d'alterar l'activitat de l'eix HPA, hi ha molt poca informació al respecte. L'objectiu principal d'aquesta tesi és, per una banda, avaluar l'ús de les plomes per mesurar corticosterona com a biomarcador de la salut i l'eficàcia biològica de les aus, explorant alguns aspectes metodològics d'aquesta matriu, i per l'altra, avaluar l'aplicabilitat de les plomes per biomonitoritzar contaminació ambiental estudiant els efectes dels contaminants en la resposta adrenal d'estrès de les aus. Primer, vam explorar la idoneïtat de diferents tipus de plomes per mesurar corticosterona i contaminants ambientals. Vam comparar nivells de corticosterona entre plomes corporals i plomes primàries de vol, que són les més utilitzades en gairebé tots els estudis previs. Les plomes corporals van mostrar una menor variabilitat en els nivells de corticosterona, indicant que aquest tipus de ploma és més adequat per obtenir informació més específica en el temps i minimitzar factors de confusió. A més, es va descriure per primer cop que les plomes natals dels pollets són útils per biomonitoritzar contaminants, essent un nou mètode de mostreig no invasiu. En segon lloc, vam demostrar que els nivells de corticosterona en plomes cobertores són consistents i estables al llarg de la generació de la ploma, mentre que varien d'un any a l'altre indicant flexibilitat individual. A més, es va validar un protocol optimitzat per extreure corticosterona de les plomes de manera més ecològica i ràpida. En tercer lloc, vam observar que concentracions de corticosterona en ploma podien predir mortalitat i fallada reproductiva en el següent període, demostrant la utilitat potencial d'aquesta eina en programes de maneig d'aus. En quart lloc, es va mostrar com els contaminants més persistents influeixen l'activitat de l'eix HPA en aus de vida lliure, adultes o pollets, però no en aus en captivitat. Tot i la relació positiva entre contaminants i l'activitat adrenal, no es va observar que els contaminants afectessin el creixement dels pollets i, mitjançant l'avaluació de la dehidroepiandrosterona en plomes, vam observar una resposta adaptativa de l'eix HPA en adults. Finalment, es van explorar diferents factors fisiològics i metodològics que potencialment podien crear confusió. En general, aquesta tesi proporciona una evidència important de la solidesa i utilitat de les plomes corporales per avaluar nivells de corticosterona a llarg termini i la seva utilitat com a biomarcador de l'eficàcia biològica en aus, així com un avanç per comprendre els efectes de la contaminació ambiental sobre la resposta adrenal d'estrès en les aus rapinyaires.
La exposición a la contaminación ambiental es una de las principales amenazas para la salud de los ecosistemas y las poblaciones silvestres. El estrés producido por la contaminación puede causar importantes alteraciones en la fauna, especialmente en los depredadores como las aves rapaces, que además son utilizadas como especies centinelas de su ecosistema. Comprender el mecanismo mediante el cual los organismos hacen frente al estrés ambiental y se adaptan a un medioambiente cambiante es crucial para su conservación. Con este propósito, las hormonas de estrés (en aves la corticosterona) se han utilizado como biomarcadores de estrés ambiental. La corticosterona es la hormona resultante de la activación del eje hipotalámico-hipofisario-adrenal (HPA), elemento clave de la respuesta de estrés. La activación de este eje y su buen funcionamiento permite a los vertebrados mantener la homeóstasis y hacer frente a las perturbaciones ambientales. Por lo tanto, detectar alteraciones en el funcionamiento de este eje (como es el estrés crónico) puede ser utilizado como biomarcador de poblaciones en riesgo y ofrecer información valiosa sobre el estado de salud y eficacia biológica de los animales. Las plumas son la única matriz capaz de proporcionar una medición a largo plazo de corticosterona, y por tanto de reflejar la actividad del eje HPA, de manera retrospectiva e integrada en el tiempo. Además, esta matriz puede reflejar el estado interno de contaminación de una ave, siendo una herramienta muy útil para biomonitorizar contaminación ambiental. No obstante, al ser una matriz relativamente nueva, aún existen algunas incógnitas metodológicas. Además, aunque los contaminantes tienen el potencial de alterar la actividad del eje HPA, hay muy poca información al respecto. El objetivo principal de esta tesis es, por un lado evaluar el uso de las plumas para cuantificar corticosterona como biomarcador de la salud y eficacia biológica de las aves, explorando algunos aspectos metodológicos de esta matriz, y por el otro, evaluar la aplicabilidad de las plumas para biomonitorizar contaminación ambiental estudiando los efectos de los contaminantes en la respuesta adrenal del estrés de las aves. Primero, exploramos la idoneidad de diferentes tipos de plumas para medir corticosterona y contaminantes ambientales. Las concentraciones de corticosterona se compararon entre plumas corporales y plumas primarias de vuelo, que son las más utilizadas en casi todos los estudios previos. Las plumas corporales mostraron una menor variabilidad en los niveles de corticosterona, indicando que este tipo de pluma es más adecuado para obtener información específica en el tiempo y minimizar factores de confusión. Además, se describió por primera vez que el plumón natal de los pollos es útil para biomonitorizar contaminantes, siendo un nuevo método de muestreo no invasivo. En segundo lugar, demostramos que los niveles de corticosterona en plumas corporales son consistentes y estables a lo largo de la generación de la pluma, mientras que varían de un año al otro indicando flexibilidad individual. Además, se validó un protocolo optimizado para extraer corticosterona de las plumas de una forma más ecológica y rápida. En tercer lugar, observamos que concentraciones de corticosterona en pluma pueden predecir mortalidad y fallo reproductivo en el siguiente período, demostrando la utilidad potencial de esta herramienta en programas de manejo de aves. En cuarto lugar, mostramos que los contaminantes más persistentes influyen en la actividad del eje HPA en aves de vida libre, adultos o pollos, pero no en aves en cautiverio. Aunque se encontró una relación positiva entre contaminantes y una alta actividad adrenal, no se observó que los contaminantes afectaran el crecimiento de los pollos y, mediante la evaluación de la dehidroepiandrosterona en plumas, observamos una respuesta adaptativa del eje HPA en adultos. Finalmente, se exploraron diferentes factores fisiológicos y metodológicos que potencialmente podían crear confusión. En general, esta tesis proporciona una evidencia importante de la solidez y utilidad de las plumas corporales para evaluar niveles de corticosterona a largo plazo y su utilidad como biomarcador de la eficacia biológica en aves, así como un avance para comprender los efectos de la contaminación ambiental sobre la respuesta adrenal del estrés en las aves rapaces.
Exposure to environmental pollution has been one of the major threats for ecosystems and wildlife populations. Pollution stress can cause important alterations to wildlife, especially to top predators such as birds of prey, which have been widely used as important sentinels of their ecosystem. Understanding the stress-copping mechanism of organisms is crucial for species conservation. To this purpose, stress hormones (i.e. corticosterone in birds) have been used as biomarkers of challenging or stressful environments. Corticosterone is the endpoint of the hormonal cascade along the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, which is activated under the presence of some stressors. The HPA axis is one of the main regulatory pathways birds use to deal with changes in the environment, and its effective functioning is imperative for maintaining homeostasis. Thus, detecting alterations in the HPA axis activity (i.e. chronic stress) can be used as a biomarker of populations at risk and offer valuable insights regarding population health and fitness. Feathers are the unique matrix able to provide long-term levels of corticosterone as an assessment of long-term adrenal activity with a retrospective insight. Furthermore, feathers can reflect the internal state of contamination, providing a valuable tool for biomonitoring environmental pollutants. However, as a relatively new matrix, feathers still present some methodological issues that need to be addressed for a proper interpretation of data. In addition, very little information exists on the influence of pollutants on the HPA axis activity. The present thesis aimed to evaluate, on one hand the use of feather corticosterone as a biomarker of bird fitness, addressing some methodological issues of this matrix, and on the other, evaluate the applicability of feathers to biomonitor environmental pollution exploring the effects of pollutants on birds adrenal stress response. First, we explored the suitability of different types of feathers to measure corticosterone and environmental pollutants. Corticosterone concentrations were compared between body feathers and flight feathers, which had been used in almost all previous studies. By showing lower variability, body feathers were found to be a more suitable type of feather to sample due to they provide more specific information in time and minimize confounding factors. In addition, nestling down feathers were described as a new non-invasive method for biomonitoring contaminants. Second, we demonstrated consistency and stability of feather corticosterone concentrations in body feathers over the same feather generation, while we found that levels differ from year to year indicating individual flexibility. Furthermore, we validated an optimized protocol for extracting corticosterone from feathers in a more timesaving and ecological way. Third, we observed that high concentrations of feather corticosterone predict mortality rate and reproductive failure the following seasons, demonstrating the potential utility of this metric in bird management programs. Fourth, we showed that the most persistent pollutants influenced the HPA axis activity of free-living birds, either adults or nestlings, but not captive birds. Interestingly, although a positive association was found between these pollutants and high adrenal activity, they were not observed to negatively affect growth development in nestlings, and through assessing dehydroepiandrosterone in feathers, we observed an adaptive response of the HPA axis in adults. Finally, we explored different potential biological and methodological confounding factors. Overall, this thesis provides important evidence for the robustness of body feathers to assess long-term levels of corticosterone and its usefulness as a biomarker of bird fitness, as well as a step forward for understanding the effects of environmental pollution on the adrenal stress response in birds of prey.

As aves de rapina, como predadores de níveis superiores na rede trófica, necessitam de grandes áreas de vida e ocorrem em baixa densidade populacional. São sensíveis a alteração e degradação do habitat, sendo bons indicadores de qualidade de habitat e biodiversidade. Apesar da importância ecológica pouco se conhece sobre a biologia e ecologia da maioria das 91 espécies que ocorrem na América do Sul, o que nos leva ao objetivo mais amplo desta tese: descrever a composição das taxocenoses de aves de rapina dos campos do sul do Brasil e Uruguai e sua relação com as características topográficas e ambientais. Para tanto, foram realizadas amostragens de aves de rapina em 11 áreas campestres entre outono de 2009 e verão de 2011. Um total de 44 transectos rodoviários foi amostrado sazonalmente, duas vezes ao ano, totalizando 176 amostragens. Ao todo foram observadas 18.424 aves de rapina, pertencentes a 33 espécies. Os transectos rodoviários são amplamente utilizados para a amostragem de aves de rapina, no entanto, nossos resultados sugerem que este método pode subestimar a abundância das espécies. Pontos de contagem parecem ser mais eficazes, principalmente para a amostragem de espécies raras. A distribuição das espécies foi associada à altitude e disponibilidade de habitat, e quatro taxocenoses puderam ser identificadas no sudeste da América do Sul. A taxocenose dos campos de altitude (na ecorregião Floresta Úmida com Araucária) se caracterizou pela presença de espécies florestais, ausentes ou pouco abundantes nas demais áreas. Na ecorregião Savana Uruguaia foram distinguidas outras três taxocenoses: 1) campos da planície costeira do sul do Brasil, com espécies associadas às áreas úmidas e ambientes alterados; 2) campos da Serra do Sudeste, uma taxocenose mista com espécies campestres e florestais, porém pouco abundantes e com maior tolerância a habitat alterados; 3) campos da Savana Uruguaia, taxocenose com predominância de espécies campestres e presença pontual de espécies florestais associadas a matas riparias. Foram registradas quatro espécies de necrófagos obrigatórios (Cathartiformes). A organização da taxocenose dos necrófagos aparenta ser mais influenciada pelas características da paisagem que por relações hierárquicas interespecíficas, mas a distribuição atual pode ter sido influenciada pela caça e envenenamento das espécies, ocorrida no século passado. A abundância das aves de rapina variou sazonalmente. A abundância foi significativamente maior no verão que no inverno, mas variou conforme a espécie. Quatro espécies são migratórias (duas migrantes trans-equatorias e duas intratropicais), três são parcialmente migratórias, mas o padrão de migração e as rotas são pouco conhecidos, e três espécies são nômades ou realizam movimentos irruptivos. Os campos do sudeste da América do Sul tem uma alta diversidade de aves de rapina, influenciada pela topografia, disponibilidade de habitat e sazonalidade, características que devem ser consideradas nas políticas de conservação na região.
Raptors, as top predators, have large home ranges and low population densities. They are sensitive to human perturbation and habitat degradation; hence raptors are sentinel species and biodiversity indicators. Despite their ecological importance, the biology and ecology of most of the 91 South American raptors is poorly known. The main objectives of this study were to examine the assemblage composition in grasslands of southern Brazil and Uruguay and to investigate its relation with topography and habitat features. To achieve this, 44 roadside transects were conducted in 11 areas. Each transect was survey four times between autumn/2009 and summer/2011. The 176 transects yielded 18,424 contacts of raptors, belonging to 34 species. Roadside line transect is widely used to survey raptors. However, our results suggest that this method could underestimate the species abundance. Roadside point transect seems to be better, especially to survey rare species. Raptors distribution and assemblage composition were related to altitude and habitat availability, and four assemblages could be identified in southeastern South America. Raptor assemblage at Altitudinal grasslands (in the Araucarian Moist Forest ecoregion) had higher abundances of forest raptors than the other regions. Three assemblages were distinguished in the Uruguayan Savannas ecoregion: 1) south Brazilian coastal plain, with species related wetlands and human modified habitats; 2) Serra do Sudeste grasslands, a mix of forest and grassland raptors assemblage, which showed low abundances and lower sensibility to habitat degradation; 3) Uruguayan Savannas, dominated by grasslands species and few forest species usually found in riparian habitats. Four obligate scavengers (Cathartiformes) were recorded. Landscape features appeared to be more important to the assemblage organization than interspecific hierarchy, but the current distribution and abundance of scavengers could have been driven by species persecution and poisoning in the last century. Raptors abundance changed seasonally. Total abundance was significantly higher during summer than winter, and strategies to deal with seasonality varied between species. Four species are complete migrants (two transequatorial and two intratropical), three are partial migrants, but their routes and migration pattern remain poorly understood; and three species are irruptive or nomadic. The grasslands of southern South America have a high diversity of raptors, influenced by topography, habitat availability and seasonality, features that should be taken into account when divising regional conservation policies.