Ecology of the gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) in central Scandinavia: diet and feeding behaviour in fluctuating ptarmigan abundances ...
Due to climate change global temperatures are rising, which is particularly pronounced at higher latitudes. Therefore, it is important to investigate the resilience of northern ecosystems to these environmental changes. Predator-prey interactions are at the foundation of food-web dynamics in an ecos...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | unknown |
| Published: |
OSF Registries
2023
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.17605/osf.io/jwxqz https://osf.io/jwxqz/ |
| Summary: | Due to climate change global temperatures are rising, which is particularly pronounced at higher latitudes. Therefore, it is important to investigate the resilience of northern ecosystems to these environmental changes. Predator-prey interactions are at the foundation of food-web dynamics in an ecosystem, making them increasingly relevant to study in the context of climate change. A predator-prey couple reflecting the dynamics of the boreal ecosystem in central Scandinavia is the gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) and the willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus). Both show circumpolar breeding distributions which largely overlap. In this study we will describe the diet and feeding behaviour of the gyrfalcon in central Norway during the nesting stage. Previous studies have shown that gyrfalcons specialise on ptarmigan as prey throughout the year, but occasionally switch to other prey species depending on the season and area. We will also investigate how spring and summer conditions affect gyrfalcon diet, feeding ... |
|---|