Habitat Use of the Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) during the Breeding Season in Spain

Raptors usually show use for a particular habitat to settle during the breeding period. In this study, we aimed to study the habitat use of the breeding populations of Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) in Spain, which represents the southern distribution limit of the species. We used GPS/GSM data from 17...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Birds
Main Authors: Maeso, Sara, Morollón, Sara, García-Macía, Jorge, Lee, Simon, Urios, Vicente
Other Authors: Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales, Zoología de Vertebrados
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: MDPI 2024
Subjects:
Behaviour movements
Harriers
GPS/GSM
Iberian Peninsula
Satellite tracking
Habitat analysis
Circus cyaneus
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10045/146775
https://doi.org/10.3390/birds5030037
Description
Summary:Raptors usually show use for a particular habitat to settle during the breeding period. In this study, we aimed to study the habitat use of the breeding populations of Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) in Spain, which represents the southern distribution limit of the species. We used GPS/GSM data from 17 individuals during 21 breeding periods. We analysed space and habitat use using 95% kernel density estimators to obtain home ranges during the breeding period. Then, we performed a third-order habitat selection analysis, extracting the percentage of locations on each land use and comparing it with random points generated within each home range. Furthermore, an Agricultural Use Index was created to classify harriers with agricultural or forest use depending on habitat. The results showed that harriers had a general use for agricultural land and, to a lesser extent, habitats with natural vegetation scrubs. Nest location was key to habitat selection, and these uses varied with latitude, with natural vegetation being chosen as the nesting habitat in the north and agricultural fields in the south, probably due to the availability of habitats in different parts of Iberia. This work was supported by Fundación Iberdrola España (MIGRA program of SEO/BirdLife) and Natural England.

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