Abstract
Understanding the movement of threatened species is important if we are to optimize management and conservation actions. Here, we describe the age and sex specific spatial and temporal ranging patterns of 19 bearded vultures Gypaetus barbatus tracked with GPS technology. Our findings suggest that spatial asymmetries are a consequence of breeding status and age-classes. Territorial individuals exploited home ranges of about 50 km2, while non-territorial birds used areas of around 10 000 km2 (with no seasonal differences). Mean daily movements differed between territorial (23.8 km) and non-territorial birds (46.1 km), and differences were also found between sexes in non-territorial birds. Daily maximum distances travelled per day also differed between territorial (8.2 km) and non-territorial individuals (26.5 km). Territorial females moved greater distances (12 km) than males (6.6 km). Taking into account high-use core areas (K20), Supplementary Feeding Sites (SFS) do not seem to play an important role in the use of space by bearded vultures. For non-territorial and territorial individuals, 54% and 46% of their home ranges (K90), respectively, were outside protected areas. Our findings will help develop guidelines for establishing priority areas based on spatial use, and also optimize management and conservation actions for this threatened species.
Highlights
Movement ecology is an emerging discipline that can play a critical role in the design and improvement of management and conservation measures that target threatened taxa
This study provides the first description and comparison of spatial and temporal ranging patterns of territorial and non-territorial Pyrenean bearded vultures tracked with GPS technology
Such high-quality information will help optimize management and conservation actions for this threatened species in the context of the European metapopulation. It may assist in assessing food availability in the area used by the species, as well the functionality of the Supplementary Feeding Sites (SFS) designed to enhance survival, breeding success and geographical expansion[31,32,33]
Summary
Movement ecology is an emerging discipline that can play a critical role in the design and improvement of management and conservation measures that target threatened taxa. The foraging movements of pre-adult individuals during dispersal periods are typically aimed at finding food resources[13] and so, due to this non-territorial lifestyle, patches with higher food availability are preferably selected by non-breeding individuals This is a very important and sensitive period from a conservation perspective because pre-breeding dispersal in large vertebrates with deferred maturity usually lasts for several years, during which time individuals exploit large areas; their success in finding food will greatly affect their survival prospects[14,15,16]. Breeding status obliges individuals to pursue a cost-benefit equilibrium in their foraging strategy that takes into account the distance they need to cover and the benefits (i.e. food) they can obtain This is more obvious for species such as avian scavengers that depend on spatially and temporally unpredictable food resources[21,22]. The current study aims to provide the first comprehensive understanding of the ranging behaviour of this vulture’s threatened Pyrenean population via the use of a larger sample size of all age-classes, tracked over a number of years/seasons with highly accurate GPS satellite technology
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