Falco Subbuteo Research Articles

Three New Additions to the Avian Inventory of Lakhimpur District, Assam, India

Lakhimpur district of Assam has a high avian diversity distributed among different locations. A study was conducted from October 2023 to June 2024 to create avian inventories of the district. Field surveys are important tools to not only observe and evaluate the avian diversity of an area, but also speaks about the rising threats and need of its conservation. Lakhimpur district has many high avian diversity zones of which Satajan wetland, situated between the latitudes 27°12'23.7''N - 27°12'40''N and longitudes 94°03'08.5''E - 94°03'08.8''E, and Ghagor Ghat located between the latitudes 27°13'41" N - 27°15'15" N and longitudes 94°11'25"E - 94°12'19"E were selected for area under the present study. The study recorded three species viz., Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo), Thick-billed Warbler (Arundinax aedon) and Eastern Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla tschutschensis) which were sighted for the first time in the district. Sighting of species, which has not been reported before, implies about the availability of shelter, sufficient food resources and better quality of the ecosystem in Lakhimpur district. All the three species that were recorded during the study are categorized as ‘least concern’ in the IUCN Red List as per latest assessment and all of them were winter visitors to Lakhimpur district of Assam, India. These areas should be protected and managed properly for better survival of the inhabiting wildlife. The findings of this study will encourage more research in these areas for creating a richer avian inventory.

To the fauna of rare bird species of coastal habitats of Temryuk Bay

New information on the presence of 27 rare, protected or little-studied species and subspecies of birds (greylag and red-breasted geese, common shelduck, gadwall, common pochard, Eurasian oystercatcher, pied avocet, black-winged stilt, Eurasian golden-plover, Eurasian curlew, sanderling, common greenshank, yellow-legged, great black-headed, Mediterranean, slender-billed, and little gulls, Caspian tern, European turtle-dove, great white and dalmatian pelicans, squacco heron, glossy ibis, Eurasian spoonbill, lesser spotted and white-tailed eagles, Eurasian hobby) obtained in the Temryuk region (Eastern Azov region) in different seasons of 2022-2023. The coast of the bay is a stopping place on the spring migration of Eurasian oystercatcher, pied avocet, Eurasian golden-plover, Eurasian curlew, sanderling, common greenshank, common shelduck, slender-billed gull, and Caspian tern; in the fall - pied avocet, sanderling, and Caspian tern. Information about the migration of the sanderling at the end of March has been obtained for the first time. The location of the concentration of Caspian tern and slender-billed gull has been identified. The glossy ibis, the number of which is growing, the black-winged stilt, and the great black-headed gull remain in the spring-summer period in the flooded rice fields. Harvested rice fields provide valuable habitat for Eurasian spoonbills during their fall migration. Information about a large aggregation of red-breasted goose in rice fields in January 2023 is presented for the first time. The great black-headed gull is found on estuaries in all seasons. The common pochard, gadwall, little gull, and Dalmatian pelican stop at the estuaries during the migration period. The migration of the lesser spotted eagle at the end of September and the migration of a large flock of great white pelican in May were recorded in this area for the first time. The squacco heron, which is disturbance tolerant, is common in reed habitats of estuaries and irrigation canals.

First record of Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo in South America

First record of Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo in South America

Eurasian Hobby: A hunter of dusk or dawn?

The European literature considers the Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo as active during the day, while in the southern African literature, the species is - often exclusively - called a hunter of dusk and dawn. This note tracks down the three original sources on which this misunderstanding is based and reviews evidence for the mainly diurnal activity of this species based on European standard literature.

Illegal trade in wildlife vertebrate species in the West Bank, Palestine

A total of 79 species of local vertebrates (birds, mammals, and reptiles) are found to be in illegal trade in the West Bank, Palestine, during 2013–2020. Data were collected from visits to the animal markets in the main cities of the West Bank (Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Jericho, Nablus, Ramallah, and Salfit) and from advertisements in social media. Birds were the most traded animals represented in 59 species (74.7%), followed by 12 species of reptiles (15.2%) and eight species of mammals (10.1%). Nineteen species are listed under CITES appendices (17 birds and 2 mammals under appendixes II and III, respectively). As for the conservation status according to the IUCN Red List, two bird species ( Streptopelia turtur and Serinus syriacus ) and one reptile ( Testudo graeca ) are listed as VU, while two mammals ( Hyaena hyaena and Gazella gazella ) are listed as NT and EN, respectively. Based on the local status, three species of bird are considered critically endangered ( Coturnix coturnix, Asio flammeus, and Aquila chrysaetos ), one bird is endangered ( Falco subbuteo ), and two mammals ( Hyaena hyaena and Gazella gazella ) are considered endangered and vulnerable respectively. This study reveals the urgent need to control animal trade in the Palestinian Territories.

Protected areas enter a new era of uncertain challenges: extinction of a non‐exigent falcon in Doñana National Park

Protected areas are supposed to maintain viable populations of plant and animal taxa and shield them from anthropogenic threats, but this role is increasingly under scrutiny. Here, we document the alarming extinction of a small falcon, the Eurasian hobby Falco subbuteo, in Doñana National Park, an iconic protected area renowned for its rich predator community. Hobbies were originally abundant at 50–60 pairs and acted as unique specialist hunters of swifts and dragonflies. This diet implies a unique niche within the raptor assemblage and frequent ranging over agricultural areas surrounding the park. The high density of other raptors likely constrained habitat availability. Predation was the main cause of breeding failure, and hatching and breeding success were always low, especially in drought years, and declined progressively through time. The extinction occurred rapidly after 2000 with several clues suggesting the synergistic contribution of prey depletion, farmland intensification, chemical contamination, predation and climate warming. Lack of detailed monitoring prevented a clear assessment of the relative role of these factors, but most of them seemed traceable to farming practices and climate change, i.e. large-scale drivers generated outside the Park. The documented extinction is alarming because this species is not particularly exigent, it may imply widespread declines of other species, and because this loss adds to the imminent local extinction of another raptor with profoundly different requirements, suggesting mounting, broad-level pressures affecting the whole ecosystem. This unforseen, rapid extinction in a Park that dedicates much effort to raptor management offers broad-scale reflections. Climate change and growing anthropogenic pressures will make unexpected species losses increasingly common in protected areas, which will face growing difficulties in identifying decline-drivers and in performing their protective task. Increased knowledge, quality monitoring and rapid management action will be needed for protected areas to deliver their role, but this will require increased funding.

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A total of 45 voucher specimens of falcons which are deposited in the bird's collection of the Iraq Natural History Research Center and Museum (INHM) were reviewed. Mummified falcons were preserved as voucher study specimens and tagged with museum collection labels. In the current study, morphometrics of six species of the genus Falco Linnaeus, 1758: Lanner falcon F. biarmicus Temminck, 1825; Sacker Falcon F. cherrug Gray, 1834; Lesser Kestrel F. naumanni Fleischer, 1818; Peregrine Falcon F. peregrines Tunstall, 1771; Eurasian Hobby F. subbuteo Linnaeus, 1758 and Common Kestrel F. tinnunculus Linnaeus, 1758 were documented. These species were recorded previously in the ornithological literatures by several authors and deposited in the museum collection; nevertheless, breeding and migrating of these birds are still occurring throughout Iraq. Furthermore, the current distribution ranges and conservation status of each of the mentioned species throughout Iraq were reviewed and comprehensively discussed.

Summer observations of Eleonora’s Falcon (<em>Falco eleonorae</em>) in the Stura Valley (South Western Alps)

From 1999 to 2020 the Eleonora’s Falcon (Falco eleonorae) has been observed 12 times at the site of Madonna del Pino, near Demonte (Province of Cuneo - Piedmont - South Western Alps). All of these individuals were birds in their second calendar year and thus these sightings are to be attributed to summer movements of nonbreeding animals. The growing number of observations of this species is imputable to the increasing identification skills of birdwatchers, necessary in order to distinguish Eleonora’s Falcons from the similar and very common Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo), and to the constant monitoring of migrating raptors as part of the Migrans Project.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo (Falconiformes:Falconidae) and phylogenetic analyses

The Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo is a Falco bird belonging to the group Falconiformes, and was listed in Appendices II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and listed as a Class II protected species on China's List of Wildlife under Special State Protection. In this study, the complete mitogenome of F. subbuteo was determined. The mitochondrial DNA is packaged in a compact 17,678 based pair (bp) circular molecule with A + T content of 54.70%. It contains 37 typical mitochondrial genes, including 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNAs and 22 tRNAs, and 2 non-coding regions (D-Loop). We reconstructed a phylogenetic tree based on mitogenome sequences of 13 Falconidae species and one outgroup. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that F. subbuteo was a sister taxon to F. cuvierii with node support 100. The new mitogenome data would provide useful information for application in conservation genetics and further clarify the phylogenetic evolution of this species.

High-Tech Training for Birds of Prey.

Simple SummaryThe stress of confinement and rehabilitation is not the only issue for a rescued wild raptor: After release, it must also deal with the new area of releasement, and hopefully, survive. This can be a true challenge for different reasons, the first of which is how long a bird has been hospitalized. High-tech rehabilitation could enhance the recovery of rescued raptors by maximizing their muscle strength, speed, and/or endurance power. The more varied the training, the more the bird will regain a muscular structure comparable to a healthy and vigorous wild raptor. Moreover, high-tech training could minimize the raptors’ attachment to humans, which may become the main problem for wild bird rescue centers, when the released raptors exhibit habituation to humans as food suppliers.Raptors are some of the most at-risk groups of birds in the world and saving these top predators is essential for maintaining the health of many ecosystems. After hospitalization, raptors are often released when muscular recovery is still unfitting when they are unable to hunt efficiently and are at risk of dying from starvation within a few days. On the other hand, if a convalescent bird is trained with the only use of classic falconry techniques, it is likely to remain dependent on the caretaker/falconer even long after the release, so unable to hunt independently. To overcome these problems, a new training method was conceived, which could improve raptors’ muscular strength while limiting habituation to humans. This has been possible due to the combination of classic falconry techniques and modern technologies, such as the introduction of specific workouts with drones. Three falconry raptors and one wild Eurasian hobby were trained through high-tech falconry to develop the ability to catch, grasp, and airlift their prey at a different speed, altitude, and resistance. The main findings of this study were: (i) The rapid increase of the raptors’ speed; (ii) the muscular growth and endurance, and (iii) successful reintroduction of a wild bird.

Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo: A review of recent records from Western Australia and Australian external territories

All Australian records of the Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo are summarised. Before 2016, the only Australian records of the Eurasian Hobby were on external territories to the north-west of the mainland. Each year between 2016 and 2021 a single Eurasian Hobby was observed as an austral summer visitor to the Swan Coastal Plain in south-western Western Australia. These sightings involved an adult in 2016, 2019 and 2020, and single immature birds in 2017–2018. The age of the Hobby seen in 2020–2021 was undetermined. As it appears that multiple individuals have been recorded across years, it is likely that the species is now more than just an accidental vagrant to Australia.

Diet of the Eurasian Hobby breeding in Western Aomori, Northern Honshu

Diet of the Eurasian Hobby breeding in Western Aomori, Northern Honshu

New Breeding Site of Eleonora’s Falcon (Falco eleonorae) and Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) in Southern Turkey

In southern Turkey, safety cliffs and islands provide breeding and stopover sites for falcons. But, there is scarce information about their distribution in these regions. In this work, Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), Eleonora’s falcon (Falco eleonorae), Merlin (Falco columbarius) and Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo) were identified in the studied area. The study was conducted around Adrasan bay on the coast line of southern Turkey from April to October during 2013-2018. The Eleonora’s falcon and the Peregrine falcon have successfully bred in this region, regularly. A large breeding colony of the Alpine swift (Apus melba) is located close to cliffs in the study area. Both falcon species had many successful attacks on Alpine swifts in the sea. This food abundance may be effective with the safety nesting areas for both Peregrine falcon and Eleonora’s falcon.

Cases of occasional interspecific brood parasitism and egg dumping in Hungary

Abstract There are numerous publications in the ornithological literature on mixed-species broods, i.e. on cases when a species lays some or all of its eggs into the nests of other species. This phenomenon, known as brood parasitism, has not yet been studied in Hungary. Here, I use the term brood parasitism, but I could not separate cases of egg dumping, a reproductive error by females. Based on literature and my own observations, I found evidence for interspecific brood parasitism in 28 species breeding in Hungary, not including the cases of the obligate interspecific brood parasite, the Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). Only one of these belongs to passerines, while in the rest of the cases, this phenomenon occurred in representatives of non-passerine families. However, cases of brood parasitism and nest parasitism have to be treated separately. The latter refers to cases when a species occupies a nest, usually a nesthole or nestbox, already containing eggs of another species, and lays its own eggs next to the foreign eggs. The present study provides data on European Roller (Coracias garrulus), Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus), Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo), tit species (Parus, Cyanistes, Poecile spp.), Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) and Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus), but in all likelihood the number of species involved is much higher.

Breeding habitat and nest-site selection by an obligatory "nest-cleptoparasite", the Amur Falcon Falco amurensis.

The selection of a nest site is crucial for successful reproduction of birds. Animals which re‐use or occupy nest sites constructed by other species often have limited choice. Little is known about the criteria of nest‐stealing species to choose suitable nesting sites and habitats. Here, we analyze breeding‐site selection of an obligatory “nest‐cleptoparasite”, the Amur Falcon Falco amurensis. We collected data on nest sites at Muraviovka Park in the Russian Far East, where the species breeds exclusively in nests of the Eurasian Magpie Pica pica. We sampled 117 Eurasian Magpie nests, 38 of which were occupied by Amur Falcons. Nest‐specific variables were assessed, and a recently developed habitat classification map was used to derive landscape metrics. We found that Amur Falcons chose a wide range of nesting sites, but significantly preferred nests with a domed roof. Breeding pairs of Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo and Eurasian Magpie were often found to breed near the nest in about the same distance as neighboring Amur Falcon pairs. Additionally, the occurrence of the species was positively associated with bare soil cover, forest cover, and shrub patches within their home range and negatively with the distance to wetlands. Areas of wetlands and fallow land might be used for foraging since Amur Falcons mostly depend on an insect diet. Additionally, we found that rarely burned habitats were preferred. Overall, the effect of landscape variables on the choice of actual nest sites appeared to be rather small. We used different classification methods to predict the probability of occurrence, of which the Random forest method showed the highest accuracy. The areas determined as suitable habitat showed a high concordance with the actual nest locations. We conclude that Amur Falcons prefer to occupy newly built (domed) nests to ensure high nest quality, as well as nests surrounded by available feeding habitats.

Archeozoology and taphonomy of bird remains from Grotta di Castelcivita (Salerno, Italy) and clues for human-bird interactions

Grotta di Castelcivita (Campania, Southern Italy) is a cave-site containing a key archaeological sequence for the study of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in Southern Italy. A Late Mousterian occupation, whose modelled dates span from 47.6 to 41.1 ka cal BP, is followed by layers bearing evidence of the Uluzzian techno-complex, which underlie an articulated Protoaurignacian sequence. The prehistoric deposit is sealed by volcanic sediments attributed to the Campanian Ignimbrite (dated to 39.85 ± 0.14 ka BP), which represent a terminus ante quem for the Palaeolithic occupation of the cave. We present here the study of the avifauna collected during the excavations carried out at Castelcivita by the University of Siena in the years 1975–88. The examined sample is composed of 631 specimens, out of which 486 have been identified according to species, genus, family or order. Bird remains belong to 36 species and at least to 175 individuals. In the Late Mousterian the abundance of species adapted to open environments indicates a cool-temperate climate; water birds, and wood and forest birds are present as well. During the Uluzzian a shift towards colder climatic conditions is testified by the increase in steppe grassland species. In the Protoaurignacian the presence of birds of open and dry environments is more marked, even if climate seems to shift toward milder conditions at the end of this phase. Taphonomic analyses have provided significant evidence for the exploitation of birds by humans across the whole sequence. Clues of human activity on bird remains are attested both in the Mousterian and, more rarely, in the Protoaurignacian by traces, possibly indicating the intentional removal of feathers (in the Mousterian) and other kinds of carcass manipulation. The Uluzzian sample is the richest in human modifications. Some of them are related to an interest for feathers (on Pyrrhocorax graculus, Falco subbuteo and an Accipitriformes of large size). Other modifications (fresh bone fractures, burnt bones, peeling, arrachement) testify to carcass treatments of Galliformes, Anseriformes, Columbiformes, Charadriiformes and Passeriformes. In the Protoaurignacian traces due to anthropogenic activity are rare and there is an increase in bone modifications caused by carnivores. Results allow us to assume that at Castelcivita humans consistently hunted birds for several purposes and exploited (especially during the Uluzzian) some species to acquire an exclusive and ethnographically well-documented resource such as feathers.

Haemoparasites of falcons in France: a 2-year survey in the Cevennes, with description of two new Haemoproteid species from poly-parasitised birds

ABSTRACTA survey of the haemoparasites present in the blood of falcons collected in three wildlife hospitals in France where wild raptors found wounded or sick are treated, and released, was conducted between June 2011 and August 2014. Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, Trypanosoma and Leucocytozoon were found. The Haemoproteus were the most frequent haematozoa present in the blood. Two new species of Haemoproteus – Haemoproteus obainae n. sp. and Haemoproteus deharoi n. sp. – in the blood of Falco subbuteo and F. tinnunculus, respectively, are described. In addition, two previously known species were observed and identified, according to their original description – Haemoproteus brachiatus and Haemoproteus tinnunculi – which were also observed in samples from Israel and used for comparison. The frequency of birds poly-parasitised by two or more species of Haemoproteus was high. Multiple infections by several species of haemoproteids in birds are often overlooked. They are responsible for errors of parasite identification and misinterpretations of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based results, i.e. sequence assignment to the corresponding species. The discussion deals with the taxonomy of the haemoproteids based on the morphology and biology and the complementary data (i.e. some bias) provided by the use of PCR-based methods.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FB26BDF1-67C1-40FB-874E-A63834CEC79D

Diurnal birds of prey of national nature park ‘Dvorichanskyi’ and adjacent territories

The studies of species composition and abundance of diurnal birds of prey may be quite indicative of the state of natural ecosystems and of the level of impact of human-induced factors on their functions. Such studies are particularly important within the protected areas taking into account unfavourable conservation status of many species of the group. The status, abundance, aspects of habitat distribution and breeding habitat preferences of diurnal birds of prey were studied within national nature park ‘Dvorichanskyi’ and adjacent territories (750 sq. km, Dvorichanskyi district, Kharkiv Region, Ukraine) in 2010–2018. 22 species were registered. The breeding of six species was confirmed e.g. Black Kite (Milvus migrans), Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo), Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus). The breeding of four more species is considered probable namely Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus), Montagu’s Harrier (Circus pygargus), White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) and Hobby (Falco subbuteo). There are indications of possible breeding of Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) and Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). The rest of the species are migrating and/or wintering. The most numerous breeding species is Common Buzzard. The abundance of Booted Eagle is comparatively high that discerns the study area from other parts of Kharkiv Region. 40 nests of birds of prey were carefully inspected. The majority were found in ravine steppe forests (83%). Oak, alder and willow flood-plain forests are very important breeding habitats for Black Kite and Booted Eagle while ravine steppe forests are those for Goshawk, Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard and Booted Eagle. Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) is the most favourable tree species for building the nests (47.5% of all inspected nests) followed by European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) (15%) and European pear (Pyrus communis) (10%).

Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo at South Lake, Perth, February 2016: The first Australian mainland record

An adult Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo was seen at South Lake, in Perth, Western Australia, on 6 February 2016. It was subsequently resighted the same day and on many following days by numerous observers over a 5-week period. This record represents the first Australian mainland record for the species (accepted by BirdLife Australia Rarities Committee: BARC Case no. 912).

Ecological distribution and population densities of raptors in the inner and outer zone of a Central European city

Five raptor species were recorded as breeding in the city of Wrocław (293 km<sup>2</sup>) during the years 2002-2010: <em>Falco tinnunculus</em> (2.4 pairs per 10 km<sup>2</sup>), <em>Buteo buteo</em> (4.1 pairs/10 km<sup>2</sup> of wooded area), <em>Accipiter gentilis</em> (3.1 pairs/10 km<sup>2</sup> of wooded area), <em>Accipiter nisus</em> (1.6 pairs/10 km<sup>2</sup> of wooded area), <em>Circus aeruginosus</em> (0.2 pairs per 10 km<sup>2</sup>). All these species have increased in numbers over the last 20-30 years, both in the inner and outer zone of the city. <em>Falco tinnunculus</em> is a well-established raptor in the inner part of the city, while <em>Accipiter nisus,</em> <em>A. gentilis, Buteo buteo</em> started to infiltrate to the inner zone. In the last 70 years, a few cases of nesting were recorded for four other raptor species in Wrocław: <em>Milvus migrans, Milvus milvus, Pernis apivorus </em>and <em>Falco subbuteo, </em>but none of them was recorded in the inner zone of the city.<em> </em> Abundant and stable food supply (small mammals, columbids, corvids and small passerine birds), and freely available nesting and perching sites may contribute to this success.