Capsule: We report a significant reduction in population size and breeding success for the Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus in Sicily, its biggest stronghold in Europe, since the latest coordinated survey.\ud
Aims: To provide updated information on current population size of Lanner Falcon in Sicily and to compare breeding parameters with those obtained in previous studies.\ud
Methods: We performed an intensive coordinated field survey and literature review of breeding success parameters across the species range.\ud
Results: Overall, we monitored 126 territories throughout Sicily where the species had been reported in the last 15 years. Lanner Falcons were present only in 60 of them. Mean nest productivity (± standard deviation) was 1.09 ± 1.18 fledged young/checked pairs, flight rate was 2.22 ± 0.52 fledged young/successful pairs and breeding success was 49.0%.\ud
Conclusions: Indirect measures aimed at preventing abandonment of occupied territories should be applied, for instance by developing a network of priority areas and slowing down degradation of the pseudo-steppe habitats by agri-environmental schemes. Additionally, direct measures aimed at preventing nest robbery, including the organization of nest guarding activities, and reduction of anthropogenic disturbance and illegal shooting, must be encouraged in order to avoid territory abandonment
Knowledge of juvenile dispersal is important for understanding population dynamics and for effective conservation, particularly of geographically isolated raptor populations. Here, we report the first documented case of a long-distance movement of an Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus from the French population to Sicily. This observation opens a new perspective for the conservation of the small and endangered Sicilian population of this species, providing evidence that persistence of the Italian population may be aided by new input from other countries.
ARTICLE HISTORY
We studied the impact of predation by the Black Rat on the breeding success of Cory’s Shearwaters on Linosa island (Pelagian archipelago) in 2006. Between 6 and 10 June we marked 231 active nests, which we checked in July, September and October. In July we found eggs or pulli in only 121 nests, while in the remaining 110 we found: 4 abandoned eggs, 1 crushed egg, 80 predated eggs, and 23 predated chicks; in two cases adults were present without eggs or chicks. In September we found 91 eggs or chicks, while 30 were predated by rats. In October no rat predation was observed. The reproductive success was 39%, rat predation being 59% and natural losses 2%, but long-term studies are needed to better quantify the exact effects of rat predation on Linosa’s shearwater population.
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