Evaluation of landscape level habitat characteristics of golden eagle habitat in Northwestern Mexico

• Main Author: Bravo Vinaja, Maria Guadalupe
• Other Authors: Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Stauffer, Dean F., Karpanty, Sarah M., Fraser, James D., Prisley, Stephen P., Aranda, Juan Carlos Guzman
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: Virginia Tech 2012
• Subjects: Mexico; species distribution models; Aquila chrysaetos; Chihuahua; golden eagle; grasslands; habitat suitability modeling; Alaska
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/39683; http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-10062012-075455/

Golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos canadensis Linnaeus 1758) are declining in some areas throughout their Nearctic range (Sauer et al. 2011). This reduction is linked to changes in their habitat caused by human activities. Golden eagles inhabit an extensive range of environments (Watson 1997, Kochert et al. 2002). In the American Continent, the golden eagle's range encompasses Alaska, Canada, the United States and the Northern and Central portions of Mexico. Northern golden eagle populations migrate during winter to southern grounds, crossing international boundaries of Canada, the US and Mexico and therefore, their conservation is of trilateral concern. Golden eagles are protected by domestic laws in the three North American countries where they occur (FWCA 1997, BGEPA 1940, MBTA 1918, Lacey Act 1900, DOF 2002) and although the IUCN list the species as Least Concern, the A. c. canadensis subspecies has been protected by CITES since 1975 (Birdlife International 2012). While intensively studied in the United States, very little is known in Mexico about golden eagle ecology and their populations. As the national bird of Mexico, its conservation has been a priority for the Mexican government since its inclusion in the Endangered Species List in 1994 (SEDESOL 1994). Several threats jeopardize golden eagle populations throughout their range in North America: habitat alteration and fragmentation, electrocution, collisions with vehicles, collision with windmills and wires, poisoning from lead ingestion, drowning, shooting and trapping, and poaching for illegal wildlife trade. Mexican experts believe that a dramatic decline occurred over recent decades and that the remaining pairs have been restricted to remnant suitable habitat patches (SEMARNAP-INE 1999). Long-term survival of golden eagles largely depends on the effectiveness of current conservation efforts of habitat at a landscape level. Successful conservation and management requires accurate information on ecology of the species upon which decisions can be based. ...