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Diversity
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Conservation and Ecology of Raptors—2nd Edition
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Conservation and Ecology of Raptors—2nd Edition

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 8529

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Vladimir D. Dobrev

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Interests: conservation biology; raptor ecology; bird migration; scavengers; biodiversity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Dobromir D. Dobrev

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: raptors; scavengers; conservation ecology; behavioural ecology; spatial ecology; movement
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Dimitar A. Demerdzhiev

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Interests: conservation biology; raptor ecology; bird migration; dietary research; niche overlapping; raptor ethology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Raptors consist of diverse avian guilds that are distributed worldwide and have adapted to different environments. They have attracted a strong interest from scientists because of their conservation status and ecology. Raptors provide critical ecosystem services based on their role in the natural food chain. Raptors have ecologically evolved to adapt and specialize to different habitats and prey species. Thus, they are subject to a wide range of biological, ecological and evolutionary studies. Nowadays, this guild of birds faces a high risk of extinction due to numerous threats that occur in their breeding, migration and wintering areas. Globally, 18% of raptors are threatened with extinction and 52% of raptors have declining populations. Raptors stand at the top of the food pyramid and are normally found in low densities over vast areas. Some species are long-distance migrants while others are sedentary. Hence, they cover a huge range of habitats and environments and interact with humans during their migration, wintering and breeding. Therefore, they play a key role in the conservation of ecosystems and are assumed as a flagship species in relation to other species. Understanding and studying their demography, abundance, diet, resource selection, movements, ecological requirements and threats will provide valuable information about the current functioning and status of ecosystems.

This Special Issue will provide information regarding the current state of raptors across the world and their role in global conservation priorities.

Dr. Vladimir D. Dobrev
Dr. Dobromir D. Dobrev
Dr. Dimitar A. Demerdzhiev
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • raptor ecology
  • migration ecology
  • demography
  • population dynamics
  • habitat
  • threats and conservation management
  • diet
  • home range

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 758 KiB  
Article
Breeding Snowy Owls Are Obligate Lemming Predators in Utqiaġvik, Alaska: Results from 30 Years of Study
by Denver W. Holt, Matthew D. Larson, Mathew T. Seidensticker and Stephen P. Hiro
Diversity 2025, 17(3), 209; https://doi.org/10.3390/d17030209 - 14 Mar 2025
Viewed by 447
Abstract
For 30 years (1992–2021), we collected pellets and pellet fragments and recorded prey cached in Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) nests during the breeding season in Utqiaġvik, Alaska. About 14,000 pellets from an estimated 700 Snowy Owls yielded 43,689 prey items, while [...] Read more.
For 30 years (1992–2021), we collected pellets and pellet fragments and recorded prey cached in Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) nests during the breeding season in Utqiaġvik, Alaska. About 14,000 pellets from an estimated 700 Snowy Owls yielded 43,689 prey items, while caches in 284 nests yielded 3334 prey items. The owls ate thirty-seven species of vertebrates: one species of fish, five species of mammals, and thirty-one species of birds. Based on the pellet analysis, lemmings represented 99.0% of the total prey, with brown lemmings (Lemmus trimucronatus) representing 94.6%, collared lemmings (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus) representing 3.1%, and unidentified lemmings representing 1.3%. All other species were <1%. Based on the prey cached in nests, lemmings represented about 90.0% (89.9%) of the total prey (n = 3334), with brown lemmings representing 88.0% (87.9%), collared lemmings representing 1.9%, and unidentified lemmings representing <1%. Birds represented only 10.0% of the prey cached in nests, although many species were eaten. Food niche breadth (FNB) and dietary evenness (DIEV) scores from pellets were narrow for the prey identified within a group or species. FNB and DIEV scores from the prey cached in nests were also narrow for the prey identified within a group or species. There was almost complete dietary overlap when comparing the prey from pellets with the prey from caches. Biomass estimates from brown lemmings (178 kg) cached in nests were 59 times more than those from collared lemmings (3 kg). Biomass estimates for large birds were misleading, as the owls mainly ate the breast, humerus, and femur muscles. Our study supports a general consensus that Snowy Owls are obligate lemming specialists during the breeding season in Utqiaġvik. In fact, they depend almost entirely on one species of lemming—the brown lemming. Consequently, anthropogenic or natural factors that impact lemming populations and distributions will directly affect Snowy Owl populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation and Ecology of Raptors—2nd Edition)
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16 pages, 4111 KiB  
Article
Parental Hacking—An Alternative Reintroduction Method for the White-Tailed Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)
by Eva Meyrier, Jacques-Olivier Travers and Bernd-Ulrich Meyburg
Diversity 2025, 17(2), 89; https://doi.org/10.3390/d17020089 - 25 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1155
Abstract
In an age of rewilding and dramatic declines in biodiversity, we are developing a new way to reintroduce raptors: parental hacking. The principle behind it is similar to traditional hacking, where the birds are released without contact with adult conspecifics. In parental hacking, [...] Read more.
In an age of rewilding and dramatic declines in biodiversity, we are developing a new way to reintroduce raptors: parental hacking. The principle behind it is similar to traditional hacking, where the birds are released without contact with adult conspecifics. In parental hacking, our method, the parents feed their own offspring until the end of the post-fledgling dependency period. Our programme aims to reintroduce the white-tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) to the Upper Rhône Basin in France. It started in 2022 and will continue until 2030, with the release of 80 young eagles. We describe the method used in 2022, followed by the improvements made in 2023, and finally compare the two years. The young eagles were raised in aviaries at the reintroduction site by their captive-born parents in the Aigles du Léman Park (Haute-Savoie, France). In 2022, two young females and two young males were released as soon as they were able to fly at the age of three months, but they often ended up on the ground due to a lack of flying ability and attacks from wild black kites (Milvus migrans) defending their territory. Therefore, the young eagles were returned to their parents’ aviary before being released a second time at five months in August 2022. One month after release, one male was already 50 km from the reintroduction site, while the other three stayed close to the park. In 2023, five young females and five young males were released at five months. This came after four weeks in a large training aviary to learn how to fly, perch, and fish. The behaviour of the young eagles after release varied greatly between individuals. Overall, 4 out of 10 young eagles travelled long distances and did not return to the reintroduction site to feed within a month, while the other 6 chose to stay close (within 20 km) to the reintroduction site. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation and Ecology of Raptors—2nd Edition)
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7 pages, 4907 KiB  
Article
Postmortem Examination of a Griffon Vulture Most Likely Killed by Lightning
by Rusko Petrov, Svetoslav Asenov and Ivelin Ivanov
Diversity 2024, 16(12), 774; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16120774 - 19 Dec 2024
Viewed by 699
Abstract
There are numerous reports of animals being struck by lightning, but the number of science-oriented studies in which a necropsy is performed, and the findings are documented, is relatively few and mostly focused on mammals. In contrast, analogous information about birds is scarce. [...] Read more.
There are numerous reports of animals being struck by lightning, but the number of science-oriented studies in which a necropsy is performed, and the findings are documented, is relatively few and mostly focused on mammals. In contrast, analogous information about birds is scarce. The purpose of this article is to present the findings after a postmortem examination of an 85–90-day-old Eurasian Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) that was most likely killed by lightning while in the nest in Sinite Kamani Nature Park in Bulgaria in 2021. The body was visibly burned, with keraunographic markings, lacked feathers and had fractured bones—typical findings in lightning strike injuries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation and Ecology of Raptors—2nd Edition)
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26 pages, 10142 KiB  
Article
Dispersal Ecology of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in Northern Greece: Onset, Ranging, Temporary and Territorial Settlement
by Lavrentis Sidiropoulos, D. Philip Whitfield, Konstantinos Poirazidis, Elisabeth Navarrete, Dimitris P. Vasilakis, Anastasios Bounas, Elzbieta Kret and Vassiliki Kati
Diversity 2024, 16(9), 580; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16090580 - 13 Sep 2024
Viewed by 3010
Abstract
Natal dispersal is a crucial period for raptors with serious implications for individuals’ survival and population demography. In this study we analyzed data from 18 GPS-tracked golden eagles in order to describe their dispersal ecology in northern Greece, where the species feeds mostly [...] Read more.
Natal dispersal is a crucial period for raptors with serious implications for individuals’ survival and population demography. In this study we analyzed data from 18 GPS-tracked golden eagles in order to describe their dispersal ecology in northern Greece, where the species feeds mostly on tortoises. Young eagles in our population dispersed at 176 days post fledging, spent their first year of independence relatively close (40–60 kms) to their natal ranges and exhibited a variable temporary settlement behavior. Overall dispersal range sizes did not differ seasonally, but temporary settlement area range sizes were significantly larger in winter. Three eagles survived to territorial settlement and occupied ranges 20–60 kms from their natal areas. The application and refinement of the Scottish GET dispersal ranging model suggested that eagles used areas that had higher topographical relief and lower canopy cover during their natal dispersal. Habitat heterogeneity seems to also be influential during temporary settlement. Our study is the first to provide both such insights for golden eagles in southern eastern Europe and a method for delineating temporary settlement areas for the species. Our findings can be explained in terms of food and habitat availability. We highlight the importance of conserving heterogeneous open areas of complex topography and applying proactive management measures within temporary settlement areas for our population’s conservation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation and Ecology of Raptors—2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 883 KiB  
Article
Wind Farms and Power Lines Reduced the Territory Status and Probability of Fledgling Production in the Eurasian Goshawk Accipiter gentilis
by Magne Husby
Diversity 2024, 16(2), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16020128 - 18 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2302
Abstract
Wind power is commonly used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but often has negative effects on biodiversity. In this study, I investigated the effects of wind farm and power line construction on the territory status of the Eurasian goshawk Accipiter gentilis, whether [...] Read more.
Wind power is commonly used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but often has negative effects on biodiversity. In this study, I investigated the effects of wind farm and power line construction on the territory status of the Eurasian goshawk Accipiter gentilis, whether fledglings were produced or not, and the number of fledglings. Included were 55 goshawk territories investigated before and after the construction period. I found that the territory status declined significantly in the influence area within 3 km from the disturbance compared to the control area more than 7 km away. Interestingly, the decline in territory status was similar in the distance categories 0–1 km, 1–2 km, and 2–3 km, while there was nearly no change in territory status in the control area, thus indicating that the influence area from this kind of disturbance was minimum 3 km from the nest. The number of breeding pairs declined significantly during the construction period only in the influence area. Possible reasons might be higher mortality caused by collisions with power lines, desertion, avoidance of the areas with noise and disturbance from the constructions, and possible indirect effects caused by reductions in prey species. I found no effects of the construction on the number of fledglings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation and Ecology of Raptors—2nd Edition)
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