Raptors are getting more attention from researchers because of their excellent flight abilities.And the excellent wing morphing ability is critical for raptors to achieve high maneuvering flight,which can be a good bi...Raptors are getting more attention from researchers because of their excellent flight abilities.And the excellent wing morphing ability is critical for raptors to achieve high maneuvering flight,which can be a good bionic inspiration for unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV)design.However,morphing wing motions of Falco peregrinus with multi postures cannot be consulted since such a motion database was nonexistent.This study aimed to provide data reference for future research in wing morphing kinetics.We used the computed tomography(CT)approach to obtain nine critical postures of the Falco peregrinus wing skeleton,followed with motion analysis of each joint and bone.Based on the obtained motion database,a six-bar kinematic model was proposed to regenerate wing motions with a high fidelity.展开更多
This study assessed the nesting patterns of raptors, Gyps africanus and Haliaeetus vocifer in Lochinvar National Park. The main objective of the study was to determine whether tree species, height, girth size, and hab...This study assessed the nesting patterns of raptors, Gyps africanus and Haliaeetus vocifer in Lochinvar National Park. The main objective of the study was to determine whether tree species, height, girth size, and habitat influenced raptor’s nest placement within Lochinvar National Park. Two species were selected as indicator species for the raptors. Habitat types and tree species were identified and measurements of tree species with nests measured. It was found that the minimum height of nest placement was 10 meters above ground and Acacia woodland was found to be the most preferred habitat for nest placement. Raptors avoided human disturbance by placing their nests at least 100 meters away from human disturbance and from the National park boundary inwards or abandoning if human encroachment comes close to the nest. More research is required to assess nesting materials used, and to determine whether raptors can swap nets or return to the abandoned nests when human disturbance ceases.展开更多
Background:Power lines are amongst the main causes of mortality for birds globally.Electrocution drives the population dynamics of several threatened species of raptors,at local and global scales.Among the many soluti...Background:Power lines are amongst the main causes of mortality for birds globally.Electrocution drives the population dynamics of several threatened species of raptors,at local and global scales.Among the many solutions that have been tested to minimize this threat are supplemental perches;however,their efficiency has rarely been assessed.Methods:We designed 43 transects in 4 districts in mainland Portugal to gather data from birds perching on pylons with or without supplemental perches.From 2015 to 2018,transects were surveyed by car at least once.We analyzed the factors driving the use of these supplemental perches,and we analyzed if there were differences in the perceived risk(calculated from measurements and not from field surveys)depending on whether the perching was on pylons with or without supplemental perches.Results:We recorded 548 perches of 14 species.Weather conditions seemed to play a role in birds’choice of pylons with supplemental perches versus pylons without supplemental perches.Models also indicated a strong influence of observational conditions.The use of models showed us an important specific effect in the selection of supplemental perches where available:there are some species with a greater tendency to perch on supplemental perches,even when they use both pylons with and without supplemental perches.For most of the analyzed species and species groups,perceived risk was higher in pylons without supplemental perches compared to pylons with supplemental perches,but there were differences between species.Conclusions:Supplemental perches may be a useful and efficient tool for mitigating raptor electrocution.However,there are many influential factors affecting their success,and their effectiveness with different species groups is not homogeneous.Some studies show higher electrocution rates for certain species and devices and thus,their efficacy must be validated.We propose a two-step validation process,first in controlled conditions and then in the field.A common protocol should be established to enable comparisons between studies.展开更多
Raptors can change the shape and area of their wings to an exceptional degree in a fast and efficient manner,surpassing other birds,insects,or bats.Some researchers have focused on the functional properties of muscle ...Raptors can change the shape and area of their wings to an exceptional degree in a fast and efficient manner,surpassing other birds,insects,or bats.Some researchers have focused on the functional properties of muscle skeletons,mechanics,and flapping robot design.However,the wing motion of the birds of prey has not been measured quantitatively,and synthetic bionic wings with morphing abilities similar to raptors are far from reality.Therefore,in the current study,a 3D suspension system for holding bird carcasses was designed and fabricated to fasten the wings of Falco Peregrinus with a series of morphing postures.Subsequently,the wing skeleton of the falcon was scanned during extending motions using the computed tomography(CT)approach to obtain three consecutive poses.Subsequently,the skeleton was reconstructed to identify the contribution of the forelimb bones to the extending/folding motions.Inspired by these findings,we propose a simple mechanical model with four bones to form a wing-morphing mechanism using the proposed pose optimisation method.Finally,a bionic wing mechanism was implemented to imitate the motion of the falcon wing—divided into inner and outer wings with folding and twisting motions.The results show that the proposed four-bar mechanism can track bone motion paths with high fidelity.展开更多
Inland wetlands in Abu Dhabi Emirate are wintering and stopover sites for migratory birds of prey. We conducted long-term regular monitoring surveys in Al Wathba Wetland Reserve (AWWR) from January 1995 to December 20...Inland wetlands in Abu Dhabi Emirate are wintering and stopover sites for migratory birds of prey. We conducted long-term regular monitoring surveys in Al Wathba Wetland Reserve (AWWR) from January 1995 to December 2022. Both diurnal and occasionally nocturnal surveys were undertaken to record the migratory raptors and owls in the Wetland Reserve. During the study, a total of 1282 regular monitoring visits were undertaken and 27 species of diurnal raptors and owls representing five families and three orders were detected. These represent 57% of the total species of birds of prey recorded in the UAE. Overall, 63% of all the species that we observed were Accipitriformes followed by 26% Falconiformes and 11% Strigiformes. We found that changes in mean daily temperature have a positive effect on raptor species diversity and abundance in the Wetland Reserve. The species encounter rate was higher in low temperature as compared to high temperature and overall regression equation was statistically significant F (4, 1126) = 8.49), p = 0.00). However, the numbers of raptors did not vary significantly across the years (p = 0.51). Western Marsh-harrier (Circus aeruginosus) and Greater Spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga) were recorded to be the most abundant species in the wetland reserve followed by Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). However, the encounter rate of globally threatened Greater Spotted Eagle was detected to have significantly decreased since 2016. Moreover, 63% of the species detected were uncommon and rarely recorded such as 1) Saker Falcon 2) Lanner Falcon 3) Long-eared Owl & Merlin, which were the rare records from the wetland reserve. Furthermore, 27 years of regular monitoring in the wetland have yielded diverse diurnal raptors and owl fauna (H) = 0.83, (E) = 1.43 (Shannon Diversity Index). The results demonstrate that long-term monitoring surveys in arid environments are essential to determine the trends in the raptor populations and to document rare and globally important species.展开更多
Climate exerts a dominant control over the distribution of species.Generally,species migrate to higher elevations to track thermal niches,but variations in morphological traits can result in trait-specific responses t...Climate exerts a dominant control over the distribution of species.Generally,species migrate to higher elevations to track thermal niches,but variations in morphological traits can result in trait-specific responses to climate change.Here we attempted to explore how three sympatrically distributed raptor species(the Upland Buzzard Buteo hemilasius,UB;the Common Kestrel,also called Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus,EK;and the Saker Falcon Falco cherrug,SF)would respond to climate change over time,and whether their responses would bias by different morphology.We tested the alternative hypotheses for Allen’s rule for UB,EK,and SF in Qinghai Province,China,by modeling their current and future habitat suitability and confirming whether a consistent pattern exists between climate-induced range shifts and morphological differences among species.The extent of the projected distribution range within protected areas was also calculated for each species.We identified the future downward elevation shift for all the species,but with the notable northeastward shifting of the suitable climate space for UB and SF.Climate change would induce range contraction in the future,and the most acute influence is always the result of the pessimistic SSP585 scenario.No obvious pattern in climate-induced range shift was found for EK,for whom the morphological traits were significantly smaller all the time.More seriously,the ratios of highly suitable habitats being protected for our three raptor species were almost at a deficient level(below 1%).This study firstly tested the alternative hypothesis of Allen’s rule among raptors in Qinghai Province unprecedently,confirmed the morphological basis for different responses to changing climate across species,and demonstrated the protection deficiency under the current protected area design.We advocate more related studies in the future to verify our findings across more taxa.展开更多
Large scavengers are strongly dependent on environmental conditions and carrion distribution and abundance,so season and breeding-related factors may influence the spatial ecology of species such as the Cinereous Vult...Large scavengers are strongly dependent on environmental conditions and carrion distribution and abundance,so season and breeding-related factors may influence the spatial ecology of species such as the Cinereous Vulture(Aegypius monachus),the largest European raptor.Iberia holds one of the biggest populations worldwide,but some aspects of the spatial ecology of the species in this region remain unknown.In this study,17 adult Cinereous Vultures were GPS-tracked in order to study their spatial ecology during the adult phase.The average monthly home ranges(95%Kernel Density Estimation,KDE)and core areas(50%KDE)were 6543±19,935 km^(2)and 1174±4004 km^(2),respectively.The average monthly home range fidelity ranged between 50 and 73%.Differences in movement-related variables between the seasonal periods(incubation,chick-rearing and non-breeding)were found.During the chick-rearing period,the monthly accumulated distance was higher than during the other periods:3316±1108(chick-rearing)vs.1621±622(incubation)vs.1726±1159 km per month(nonbreeding).Additionally,large home range sizes were more frequent during the chick-rearing period.There are two likely causes for these seasonal differences.Firstly,chick-rearing entails a higher energetic expenditure by the parental individuals in foraging activities,so larger movements and foraging areas are expected during this period.Secondly,the flight is favoured during spring and summer due to environmental conditions.Matching chick-rearing and warm months is a great evolutionary advantage for soaring-gliding raptors,as it allows them to cover larger areas with low energy expenditure.Furthermore,six individuals tagged as nestlings highlight the philopatric behaviour of the species:vultures settle their breeding areas 54±51 km from their natal nest(range=9–138 km).展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.52175279,52075489,and 51705459)the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province,China(Grant Nos.LY20E050022 and LGG20E050017)。
文摘Raptors are getting more attention from researchers because of their excellent flight abilities.And the excellent wing morphing ability is critical for raptors to achieve high maneuvering flight,which can be a good bionic inspiration for unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV)design.However,morphing wing motions of Falco peregrinus with multi postures cannot be consulted since such a motion database was nonexistent.This study aimed to provide data reference for future research in wing morphing kinetics.We used the computed tomography(CT)approach to obtain nine critical postures of the Falco peregrinus wing skeleton,followed with motion analysis of each joint and bone.Based on the obtained motion database,a six-bar kinematic model was proposed to regenerate wing motions with a high fidelity.
文摘This study assessed the nesting patterns of raptors, Gyps africanus and Haliaeetus vocifer in Lochinvar National Park. The main objective of the study was to determine whether tree species, height, girth size, and habitat influenced raptor’s nest placement within Lochinvar National Park. Two species were selected as indicator species for the raptors. Habitat types and tree species were identified and measurements of tree species with nests measured. It was found that the minimum height of nest placement was 10 meters above ground and Acacia woodland was found to be the most preferred habitat for nest placement. Raptors avoided human disturbance by placing their nests at least 100 meters away from human disturbance and from the National park boundary inwards or abandoning if human encroachment comes close to the nest. More research is required to assess nesting materials used, and to determine whether raptors can swap nets or return to the abandoned nests when human disturbance ceases.
基金the LIFE+Nature project“Conservation of the Spanish Imperial Eagle(Aquila adalberti)in Portugal”-LIFE13 NAT/PT/001300,supported 75%by the Life Programme-European Commission。
文摘Background:Power lines are amongst the main causes of mortality for birds globally.Electrocution drives the population dynamics of several threatened species of raptors,at local and global scales.Among the many solutions that have been tested to minimize this threat are supplemental perches;however,their efficiency has rarely been assessed.Methods:We designed 43 transects in 4 districts in mainland Portugal to gather data from birds perching on pylons with or without supplemental perches.From 2015 to 2018,transects were surveyed by car at least once.We analyzed the factors driving the use of these supplemental perches,and we analyzed if there were differences in the perceived risk(calculated from measurements and not from field surveys)depending on whether the perching was on pylons with or without supplemental perches.Results:We recorded 548 perches of 14 species.Weather conditions seemed to play a role in birds’choice of pylons with supplemental perches versus pylons without supplemental perches.Models also indicated a strong influence of observational conditions.The use of models showed us an important specific effect in the selection of supplemental perches where available:there are some species with a greater tendency to perch on supplemental perches,even when they use both pylons with and without supplemental perches.For most of the analyzed species and species groups,perceived risk was higher in pylons without supplemental perches compared to pylons with supplemental perches,but there were differences between species.Conclusions:Supplemental perches may be a useful and efficient tool for mitigating raptor electrocution.However,there are many influential factors affecting their success,and their effectiveness with different species groups is not homogeneous.Some studies show higher electrocution rates for certain species and devices and thus,their efficacy must be validated.We propose a two-step validation process,first in controlled conditions and then in the field.A common protocol should be established to enable comparisons between studies.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(52175279,51705459)Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province(LY20E050022).
文摘Raptors can change the shape and area of their wings to an exceptional degree in a fast and efficient manner,surpassing other birds,insects,or bats.Some researchers have focused on the functional properties of muscle skeletons,mechanics,and flapping robot design.However,the wing motion of the birds of prey has not been measured quantitatively,and synthetic bionic wings with morphing abilities similar to raptors are far from reality.Therefore,in the current study,a 3D suspension system for holding bird carcasses was designed and fabricated to fasten the wings of Falco Peregrinus with a series of morphing postures.Subsequently,the wing skeleton of the falcon was scanned during extending motions using the computed tomography(CT)approach to obtain three consecutive poses.Subsequently,the skeleton was reconstructed to identify the contribution of the forelimb bones to the extending/folding motions.Inspired by these findings,we propose a simple mechanical model with four bones to form a wing-morphing mechanism using the proposed pose optimisation method.Finally,a bionic wing mechanism was implemented to imitate the motion of the falcon wing—divided into inner and outer wings with folding and twisting motions.The results show that the proposed four-bar mechanism can track bone motion paths with high fidelity.
文摘Inland wetlands in Abu Dhabi Emirate are wintering and stopover sites for migratory birds of prey. We conducted long-term regular monitoring surveys in Al Wathba Wetland Reserve (AWWR) from January 1995 to December 2022. Both diurnal and occasionally nocturnal surveys were undertaken to record the migratory raptors and owls in the Wetland Reserve. During the study, a total of 1282 regular monitoring visits were undertaken and 27 species of diurnal raptors and owls representing five families and three orders were detected. These represent 57% of the total species of birds of prey recorded in the UAE. Overall, 63% of all the species that we observed were Accipitriformes followed by 26% Falconiformes and 11% Strigiformes. We found that changes in mean daily temperature have a positive effect on raptor species diversity and abundance in the Wetland Reserve. The species encounter rate was higher in low temperature as compared to high temperature and overall regression equation was statistically significant F (4, 1126) = 8.49), p = 0.00). However, the numbers of raptors did not vary significantly across the years (p = 0.51). Western Marsh-harrier (Circus aeruginosus) and Greater Spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga) were recorded to be the most abundant species in the wetland reserve followed by Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). However, the encounter rate of globally threatened Greater Spotted Eagle was detected to have significantly decreased since 2016. Moreover, 63% of the species detected were uncommon and rarely recorded such as 1) Saker Falcon 2) Lanner Falcon 3) Long-eared Owl & Merlin, which were the rare records from the wetland reserve. Furthermore, 27 years of regular monitoring in the wetland have yielded diverse diurnal raptors and owl fauna (H) = 0.83, (E) = 1.43 (Shannon Diversity Index). The results demonstrate that long-term monitoring surveys in arid environments are essential to determine the trends in the raptor populations and to document rare and globally important species.
基金financial support and the invaluable field assistance from the Forestry and Grassland Bureau of local counties in Qinghai ProvinceNational Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.32101237 and Grant No.41871294)Tibet Major Science and Technology Project(Grant No.XZ201901-GA-06)supported this work。
文摘Climate exerts a dominant control over the distribution of species.Generally,species migrate to higher elevations to track thermal niches,but variations in morphological traits can result in trait-specific responses to climate change.Here we attempted to explore how three sympatrically distributed raptor species(the Upland Buzzard Buteo hemilasius,UB;the Common Kestrel,also called Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus,EK;and the Saker Falcon Falco cherrug,SF)would respond to climate change over time,and whether their responses would bias by different morphology.We tested the alternative hypotheses for Allen’s rule for UB,EK,and SF in Qinghai Province,China,by modeling their current and future habitat suitability and confirming whether a consistent pattern exists between climate-induced range shifts and morphological differences among species.The extent of the projected distribution range within protected areas was also calculated for each species.We identified the future downward elevation shift for all the species,but with the notable northeastward shifting of the suitable climate space for UB and SF.Climate change would induce range contraction in the future,and the most acute influence is always the result of the pessimistic SSP585 scenario.No obvious pattern in climate-induced range shift was found for EK,for whom the morphological traits were significantly smaller all the time.More seriously,the ratios of highly suitable habitats being protected for our three raptor species were almost at a deficient level(below 1%).This study firstly tested the alternative hypothesis of Allen’s rule among raptors in Qinghai Province unprecedently,confirmed the morphological basis for different responses to changing climate across species,and demonstrated the protection deficiency under the current protected area design.We advocate more related studies in the future to verify our findings across more taxa.
基金Iberdrola Espana Foundation(MIGRA program of SEO/Bird Life)Asociación Trenca+4 种基金Generalitat de CatalunyaJunta de ExtremaduraGREFA(supported by REDEIA, MITERD, Junta de Castilla y León, Junta de Comunidades de Castilla la Mancha, and Comunidad de Madrid)Cabaneros National ParkSierra de Guadarrama National Park
文摘Large scavengers are strongly dependent on environmental conditions and carrion distribution and abundance,so season and breeding-related factors may influence the spatial ecology of species such as the Cinereous Vulture(Aegypius monachus),the largest European raptor.Iberia holds one of the biggest populations worldwide,but some aspects of the spatial ecology of the species in this region remain unknown.In this study,17 adult Cinereous Vultures were GPS-tracked in order to study their spatial ecology during the adult phase.The average monthly home ranges(95%Kernel Density Estimation,KDE)and core areas(50%KDE)were 6543±19,935 km^(2)and 1174±4004 km^(2),respectively.The average monthly home range fidelity ranged between 50 and 73%.Differences in movement-related variables between the seasonal periods(incubation,chick-rearing and non-breeding)were found.During the chick-rearing period,the monthly accumulated distance was higher than during the other periods:3316±1108(chick-rearing)vs.1621±622(incubation)vs.1726±1159 km per month(nonbreeding).Additionally,large home range sizes were more frequent during the chick-rearing period.There are two likely causes for these seasonal differences.Firstly,chick-rearing entails a higher energetic expenditure by the parental individuals in foraging activities,so larger movements and foraging areas are expected during this period.Secondly,the flight is favoured during spring and summer due to environmental conditions.Matching chick-rearing and warm months is a great evolutionary advantage for soaring-gliding raptors,as it allows them to cover larger areas with low energy expenditure.Furthermore,six individuals tagged as nestlings highlight the philopatric behaviour of the species:vultures settle their breeding areas 54±51 km from their natal nest(range=9–138 km).
