Large‐scale movement patterns in a social vulture are influenced by seasonality, sex, and breeding region

Abstract

Quantifying space use and segregation, as well as the extrinsic and intrinsic factors affecting them, is crucial to increase our knowledge of species‐specific movement ecology and to design effective management and conservation measures. This is particularly relevant in the case of species that are highly mobile and dependent on sparse and unpredictable trophic resources, such as vultures. Here, we used the GPS‐tagged data of 127 adult Griffon Vultures Gyps fulvus captured at five different breeding regions in Spain to describe the movement patterns (home‐range size and fidelity, and monthly cumulative distance). We also examined how individual sex, season, and breeding region determined the cumulative distance traveled and the size and overlap between consecutive monthly home‐ranges. Overall, Griffon Vultures exhibited very large annual home‐range sizes of 5027 ± 2123 km 2 , mean monthly cumulative distances of 1776 ± 1497 km, and showed a monthly home‐range fidelity of 67.8 ± 25.5%. However, individuals from northern breeding regions showed smaller home‐ranges and traveled shorter monthly distances than those from southern ones. In all cases, home‐ranges were larger in spring and summer than in winter and autumn, which could be related to difference in flying conditions and food requirements associated with reproduction. Moreover, females showed larger home‐ranges and less monthly fidelity than males, indicating that the latter tended to use the similar areas throughout the year. Overall, our results indicate that both extrinsic and intrinsic factors modulate the home‐range of the Griffon Vulture and that spatial segregation depends on sex and season at the individual level, without relevant differences between breeding regions in individual site fidelity. These results have important implications for conservation, such as identifying key threat factors necessary to improve management actions and policy decisions.

Reported mortality of Griffon VultureGyps fulvusin central Italy and indications for conservation and management

“…This is not surprising as the monogamous Griffon Vulture is sexually monomorphic (Bosé et al 2007), and both sexes equally invest in nesting and parental care (Cramp and Simmons 1982). However, despite what was previously reported (Altea et al 2013, Monsarrat et al 2013), Morant et al (2023) recently found significant differences in movement patterns of breeding Griffon Vultures in different populations in Spain. There, females showed larger home ranges and lower monthly fidelity than males (Morant et al 2023).…”

“…However, despite what was previously reported (Altea et al 2013, Monsarrat et al 2013), Morant et al (2023) recently found significant differences in movement patterns of breeding Griffon Vultures in different populations in Spain. There, females showed larger home ranges and lower monthly fidelity than males (Morant et al 2023).…”

A long‐lasting, distant journey of a male griffon vulture informs on the success of differential parental investment

“…Telemetry monitoring confirmed that active breeding individuals have huge home ranges around the colony (Morant et al, 2023). Movements outside the core home range (estimated as the 50% fixed kernel density; Signer et al, 2019) occur sporadically when nestlings were feathered, from about 70 days of age, and lasted for periods of ~1 week (authors' unpublished data).…”

“…Movements outside the core home range (estimated as the 50% fixed kernel density; Signer et al, 2019) occur sporadically when nestlings were feathered, from about 70 days of age, and lasted for periods of ~1 week (authors' unpublished data). When breeding failed, these long‐distance movements become more frequent and long‐lasting, toward the main dispersal area of Iberian nonbreeding griffon vultures in the dehesas of southwestern Spain (Delgado‐González et al, 2022), rarely northward (Morant et al, 2023). Surprisingly, in the last months of the breeding season (June–July) of 2022, a breeding male griffon vulture tracked since June 2021 was absent for a long period from the nest (40 days, from 4 June to 14 July) although it was still raising a nestling (Figure 1).…”

The Influence of Age, Sex and Season on Andean Condor Ranging Behavior during the Immature Stage

“…This technology has improved the information available on habitats that are important for wild animals, especially for long-lived species [ 11 , 13 ]. Moreover, satellite tracking has clearly showed that even within a species there may be important differences in the use of space, depending on age, sex and seasonality [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. Satellite tracking has also made it possible to improve our knowledge on dispersal in several animal species [ 1 , 18 , 19 ], particularly in immature birds [ 6 , 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”