Abstract We report the first record of the Amur falcon ( Falco amurensis ) in Algeria and throughout North Africa, based on a single individual observed and photographed on 15 July 2025 and again on 3 August 2025 in the Illizi region, southeastern Algeria. The bird was documented using a Nikon Coolpix P900 camera in an open Saharan habitat characterised by sparse desert vegetation. This observation represents a westward extension of the known distribution of the species into the central Sahara. It constitutes a notable case of vagrancy well beyond its typical migratory corridor between eastern Asia and southern Africa. This finding underscores the species’ potential for long-distance dispersal and highlights the importance of continued monitoring for rare migratory birds in arid zones of Algeria or throughout North Africa.

Abstract Diurnal raptors and the great grey shrike ( Lanius excubitor ) wintering in the lowland farmland of northwestern Italy were surveyed again after 20 years, during the winters of 2020/2021 and 2021/2022. Data were collected using roadside car transects, and perpendicular distances of birds from the transect lines were recorded to estimate wintering raptor densities. Ten species (9 raptors) were observed, but only two species, the common buzzard ( Buteo buteo ) and the common kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus ), were recorded frequently enough to allow reliable density estimates. Extensive rice fields in the north-eastern part of the study area supported high densities of common buzzards, with estimates ranging between 1 and 2 individuals per km². Although occurring at lower densities (~ 0.5 individuals per km²), the common kestrel showed a broader habitat tolerance and appeared less dependent on specific agricultural landscapes. The estimated wintering population of common buzzards in the lowland farmland of the Piemonte region, an area covering approximately 5,700 km², was slightly higher than that recorded 20 years earlier, ranging between 4,000 and 5,000 individuals. For the common kestrel, the estimated wintering population in the same area was around 2,500 individuals (1,800–3,500). However, the total wintering populations of both species in the whole region were certainly much larger, because they are also widespread during winter in hilly and mountainous areas. Overall, the results highlighted the importance of rice fields for wintering common buzzards, suggested stability in the raptor community, and advocated for broader adoption of distance sampling methods for effective large-scale bird surveys.

Abstract The challenges in researching the parasite fauna of rare and red-listed species, such as the Eurasian goshawk ( Accipiter gentilis ), render the study of accidental findings of these birds highly valuable and important. This paper discusses the results regarding the species diversity and occurrence of helminths in the Eusarian goshawk in northwest Russia. In July and September 2024, parasites were collected from the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts of two birds that had died in the City of Petrozavodsk and the Village of Porosozero. This is the first report of the occurrence of nine helminth species (trematodes Neodiplostomum attenuatum , Srtigea falconis , Prosthogonimus cuneatus and nematodes Cyathostoma americana , Eucoleus dispar , Porrocaecum depressum , Baruscapillaria falconis , Capillaria tenuissima , Microtetrameres sp.) in the Eurasian goshawk, which is actively expanding its distribution in northwest Russia. Karelia is the only region where the trematode P. cuneatus has been found in the Eurasian goshawk. With the new findings, we provide an overview of Eurasian goshawk’s parasite fauna, with reference to available information on other regions of Russia and Europe. A list of 43 helminth species documented for hawks has been compiled using published data. Another important outcome of our study is that, having analysed the birds, we managed to describe the ecological characteristics of the birds adapting to urbanised environments (cities and rural communities). This adaptation likely involves changes in the birds’ dietary spectrum and, accordingly, the species composition and infection rates of their common helminth parasites.

Abstract An extremely pale juvenile eastern imperial eagle ( Aquila heliaca ) without the typical dark streaking of the body was observed and photographed wintering in Oman. The bird presented an identification challenge and was initially identified as a tawny eagle ( Aquila rapax ). The possible overlap in the breeding distribution of both species is discussed, together with the possibility for natural hybridisation.

Abstract The great black hawk is widely distributed in South America, including Brazil and the state of São Paulo, but it is uncommon in the region of the city of São Paulo (Grande São Paulo), the largest urban area in South America. We compiled, organized, and analyzed available records of the species for this highly urbanized region in the literature, ornithological databases, and online birdwatching platforms, and produced field data. We obtained 13 records from four locations between 2018 and 2024. All records were associated with humid and flooded environments, mainly artificial reservoirs. The long period without records and the low number of recent detections suggest several possibilities: the species has always been uncommon in Grande São Paulo, perhaps for geographic, environmental, ecological, and/or climatic reasons; the species may be colonizing lakes and reservoirs created in recent decades; or the species is just a regional vagrant bird in Grande São Paulo. Nonetheless, the presence of this hawk in the surroundings of the largest urban area in South America shows the importance of the wetlands and floodplain remnants of the Alto Tietê Hydrographic Basin, which are threatened environments that urgently need protection by the establishment of conservation units.

Abstract In areas of sympatry, animals face risks associated with predation pressure and competition for space and/or food from individuals within the same or different ecological guilds. In birds of prey, intraguild competitors and adversaries may adapt to coexistence through various mechanisms, such as spatial avoidance, dietary differentiation, or using distinct habitat types in the shared environment. However, studies examining multiple sympatric owl species and simultaneously investigating their home ranges, diet, and roosting sites remain exceptional. Therefore, we studied four sympatric owl species to obtain findings on spatial arrangements of their diurnal roosting home ranges, and prey and habitat selection during the breeding season. Individual males from three of the four studied species [Eurasian pygmy owl (Glaucidium passerinum), boreal owl (Aegolius funereus), and tawny owl (Strix aluco)] were radio-tracked in an area co-inhabited by an apex intraguild predator, the Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo). The diurnal roosting home range, calculated using a 95% kernel density estimation method, was 111, 117, and 7 ha for the pygmy, boreal, and tawny owl male, respectively. The diurnal roosting home ranges overlapped by 55% in the case of the boreal and pygmy owl males; in contrast, their ranges overlapped only by 2% and 4%, respectively, with that of the tawny owl male. The tawny owl male roosted at a respectful distance from the eagle-owl’s nest site in all recorded cases, while it was included within the diurnal roosting home ranges of both smaller owl species, indicating the subordinate owl species may use the presence of an apex predator to protect themselves from medium-intraguild enemies. The study results suggest that intraguild competitors/enemies may mitigate direct conflict through spatial avoidance and dietary differentiation, and such partial niche separation may help reduce food competition within the guild, promoting coexistence among species.

Abstract In current ornithological literature, there is a general consensus that the eagle owl (Bubo bubo) is a breeder of rocky habitats in Slovakia, especially on cliffs and quarry walls, but little research to date has concentrated on cases of ground-nesting in the lowland areas of the country. This study provides an overview of the documented cases of eagle owls breeding in lowland forests, a relatively unusual method of breeding for this species. The authors also report a recent case of an eagle owl breeding on the ground in a floodplain forest at the small settlement of Sedín near the forest edge in the western part of the Danube Lowlands. The nest was located in a shallow basin at the base of a large white poplar (Populus alba) tree, just 3 m from an oxbow lake. The site was visited three times between 12 April and 12 May 2024, and three young birds were observed in the nest, all of which likely fledged successfully. Prey remains from the nest were analysed and the results are presented here together with those of five other eagle owl nests from the lowlands of Slovakia and the Czech Republic. In the nest near Sedín, the common hamster (Cricetus cricetus) was the predominant prey species, in contrast to a location near Vojčice in the East Slovak Lowlands in which the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) predominated or nest sites in Southern Moravia and the Třeboňsko region of the Czech Republic where larger birds were the main prey.

Abstract In this study, we investigated the Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) breeding in lowland forests in the trans-border area between western Slovakia, eastern Austria, and southern Moravia. The research provides new information on the reuse of nests by eagle owls and presents initial insights into population density and trends of eagle owls in the March-Thaya floodplains. Our 19-year monitoring has shown that the eagle owl has become a widespread breeder over the study area, with an increasing population trend. A total of 151 breeding attempts by eagle owls have been identified, occupying 82 natural nests (originally built by at least nine species of birds) and 12 artificial nests. With an average of 6.2 active nests per 100 km2 and a maximum of 17 active nests found in 2021 (~10.6 pairs per 100 km2), our findings represent one of the highest eagle owl breeding densities found, especially in comparison with core populations nesting in the mountains (the Carpathians, north-eastern Alps and the Bohemian Massif). Regarding the dynamics of nest reuse, our results reveal that only a third of nests used by eagle owls were reused by other raptors or storks (Ciconia sp.). Almost 50% of the natural nests in which eagle owl bred, subsequently disintegrated after the owlets had fledged. Lastly, black stork (Ciconia nigra) nests re-used by eagle owls were twice as likely to have disintegrated after the owlets had fledged than nests built by other bird species. Our results suggest that black stork nests in the March and Thaya floodplain forests are most susceptible to destruction.

Abstract Raptors have been successfully used to disperse and often control flocks of pest birds. However, the question that has not been resolved is, “If the raptor kills a small number of the target flock, does this improve the efficiency of control?” This mini-review examines the few research reports that have been published that can shed light on this question.

Abstract The diet of the endemic Cyprus scops owl (Otus cyprius) was studied for the first time during the breeding season 2021 in 7 nesting sites from 6 sampling locations using the pellet analysis (n = 65 pellets). Insects, mostly Orthoptera and Coleoptera, comprised the bulk of the owl diet (87% abundance, 31% biomass), whereas small mammals and reptiles were important in terms of biomass, with 41% and 24%, respectively. Birds were the lowest prey order, with 0.6% abundance and 3.6% biomass. The most essential insects were grasshoppers (Acrididae) (17%) and scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae) (6%). From vertebrate prey, Mus spp. (23.7%), Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) (8%), Cyprus spiny mice (Acomys nesiotes) (8%), juvenile black rats (Rattus rattus) (7%), and Cyprus agamas (Laudakia cypriaca) (5%) stand out as % biomass. Predation on a bat species (Pipistrellus sp.) by scops owl was documented for the first time in Cyprus. The estimated prey biomass ranged from 0.1 – 25 grams, averaging 2.1 g.