Changes in nesting habitat of the saker falcon ( Falco cherrug) influenced its diet composition and potentially threatened its population in Slovakia in the years 1976–2016
Abstract In the period between the years 1976 to 2016 we monitored the nesting site distribution of two populations of saker falcon ( Falco cherrug ) concentrated in the highlands and adjacent lowlands of western and eastern Slovakia. In western Slovakia we recorded nesting by 56 pairs and 514 nesti...
Published in: | Raptor Journal |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
2019
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/srj-2019-0009 https://content.sciendo.com/view/journals/srj/13/1/article-p75.xml https://www.sciendo.com/pdf/10.2478/srj-2019-0009 |
id |
crdegruyter:10.2478/srj-2019-0009 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crdegruyter:10.2478/srj-2019-0009 2024-09-15T18:02:50+00:00 Changes in nesting habitat of the saker falcon ( Falco cherrug) influenced its diet composition and potentially threatened its population in Slovakia in the years 1976–2016 Chavko, Jozef Obuch, Ján Lipták, Ján Slobodník, Roman Baláž, Michal 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/srj-2019-0009 https://content.sciendo.com/view/journals/srj/13/1/article-p75.xml https://www.sciendo.com/pdf/10.2478/srj-2019-0009 en eng Walter de Gruyter GmbH http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 Raptor Journal volume 13, issue 1, page 75-104 ISSN 2644-5247 journal-article 2019 crdegruyter https://doi.org/10.2478/srj-2019-0009 2024-07-29T04:11:17Z Abstract In the period between the years 1976 to 2016 we monitored the nesting site distribution of two populations of saker falcon ( Falco cherrug ) concentrated in the highlands and adjacent lowlands of western and eastern Slovakia. In western Slovakia we recorded nesting by 56 pairs and 514 nestings, and in eastern Slovakia we observed nesting by 32 pairs and 245 nestings. There were similar nesting success rates in both regions, with pairs producing on average 3.2 young in every successful nest. During the monitored period as a whole a total of 1,788 young saker falcons were raised. At the same time all the pairs gradually resettled in the lowlands, and in the new environment the nesting success rate significantly improved (81.1% compared with 57.1 % in the highlands). This change of nesting biotopes was caused by the impacts of intensive exploitation and environmentally inappropriate forest management, with the accompanying excessive disturbance of nesting birds, but at the same time the disappearance of ground squirrel ( Spermophilus citellus ) colonies led to a change in the food spectrum for the observed saker falcon pairs. We evaluated the falcons’ feeding habits in western Slovakia between the years 1977 and 2016 (49 pairs; 1–17 pairs/year) and in eastern Slovakia between 2009 and 2016 (12 pairs; 1–3 pairs/year). Altogether 17,669 prey items were identified. From 1976 onwards mammals (Mammalia, 19.8%, 24 species) became gradually less represented as a component in the falcons’ diet compared with birds (Aves, 79.9%, 58 species). In areas of western Slovakia we found stable and predominant proportions of domestic pigeons ( Columba livia f. domestica ) ranging from 52% to 62%. The proportion of pigeons was distinctly lower in eastern Slovakia (31.5%), compensated for by larger shares of common vole ( Microtus arvalis ), common starling ( Sturnus vulgaris ), Eurasian magpie ( Pica pica ) and hooded crow ( Corvus cornix ). The common starling (9.5%) was a significant prey species in the lowlands of western ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Common vole Microtus arvalis De Gruyter Raptor Journal 13 1 75 104 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
De Gruyter |
op_collection_id |
crdegruyter |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract In the period between the years 1976 to 2016 we monitored the nesting site distribution of two populations of saker falcon ( Falco cherrug ) concentrated in the highlands and adjacent lowlands of western and eastern Slovakia. In western Slovakia we recorded nesting by 56 pairs and 514 nestings, and in eastern Slovakia we observed nesting by 32 pairs and 245 nestings. There were similar nesting success rates in both regions, with pairs producing on average 3.2 young in every successful nest. During the monitored period as a whole a total of 1,788 young saker falcons were raised. At the same time all the pairs gradually resettled in the lowlands, and in the new environment the nesting success rate significantly improved (81.1% compared with 57.1 % in the highlands). This change of nesting biotopes was caused by the impacts of intensive exploitation and environmentally inappropriate forest management, with the accompanying excessive disturbance of nesting birds, but at the same time the disappearance of ground squirrel ( Spermophilus citellus ) colonies led to a change in the food spectrum for the observed saker falcon pairs. We evaluated the falcons’ feeding habits in western Slovakia between the years 1977 and 2016 (49 pairs; 1–17 pairs/year) and in eastern Slovakia between 2009 and 2016 (12 pairs; 1–3 pairs/year). Altogether 17,669 prey items were identified. From 1976 onwards mammals (Mammalia, 19.8%, 24 species) became gradually less represented as a component in the falcons’ diet compared with birds (Aves, 79.9%, 58 species). In areas of western Slovakia we found stable and predominant proportions of domestic pigeons ( Columba livia f. domestica ) ranging from 52% to 62%. The proportion of pigeons was distinctly lower in eastern Slovakia (31.5%), compensated for by larger shares of common vole ( Microtus arvalis ), common starling ( Sturnus vulgaris ), Eurasian magpie ( Pica pica ) and hooded crow ( Corvus cornix ). The common starling (9.5%) was a significant prey species in the lowlands of western ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Chavko, Jozef Obuch, Ján Lipták, Ján Slobodník, Roman Baláž, Michal |
spellingShingle |
Chavko, Jozef Obuch, Ján Lipták, Ján Slobodník, Roman Baláž, Michal Changes in nesting habitat of the saker falcon ( Falco cherrug) influenced its diet composition and potentially threatened its population in Slovakia in the years 1976–2016 |
author_facet |
Chavko, Jozef Obuch, Ján Lipták, Ján Slobodník, Roman Baláž, Michal |
author_sort |
Chavko, Jozef |
title |
Changes in nesting habitat of the saker falcon ( Falco cherrug) influenced its diet composition and potentially threatened its population in Slovakia in the years 1976–2016 |
title_short |
Changes in nesting habitat of the saker falcon ( Falco cherrug) influenced its diet composition and potentially threatened its population in Slovakia in the years 1976–2016 |
title_full |
Changes in nesting habitat of the saker falcon ( Falco cherrug) influenced its diet composition and potentially threatened its population in Slovakia in the years 1976–2016 |
title_fullStr |
Changes in nesting habitat of the saker falcon ( Falco cherrug) influenced its diet composition and potentially threatened its population in Slovakia in the years 1976–2016 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Changes in nesting habitat of the saker falcon ( Falco cherrug) influenced its diet composition and potentially threatened its population in Slovakia in the years 1976–2016 |
title_sort |
changes in nesting habitat of the saker falcon ( falco cherrug) influenced its diet composition and potentially threatened its population in slovakia in the years 1976–2016 |
publisher |
Walter de Gruyter GmbH |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/srj-2019-0009 https://content.sciendo.com/view/journals/srj/13/1/article-p75.xml https://www.sciendo.com/pdf/10.2478/srj-2019-0009 |
genre |
Common vole Microtus arvalis |
genre_facet |
Common vole Microtus arvalis |
op_source |
Raptor Journal volume 13, issue 1, page 75-104 ISSN 2644-5247 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.2478/srj-2019-0009 |
container_title |
Raptor Journal |
container_volume |
13 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
75 |
op_container_end_page |
104 |
_version_ |
1810440244379516928 |