Breeding status obliges individuals to pursue a cost-benefit equilibrium in their foraging strategy that takes into account the distance they need to cover and the benefits (i.e. Foraging movements of breeding individuals are linked to obtaining food resources but also include aspects related to habitat choice, functional responses and the trade-offs between food-seeking and safety 19, 20. Consequently, estimation of the use of space during these pre-settlement movements is a key element in the design of any adaptive management program designed to improve geographical expansion and restore viable metapopulations 17, 18.īy contrast, when individuals reach adulthood, settle and occupy breeding territories, their central-place foraging behaviour restricts their movements to the nest surroundings. This is a very important and sensitive period from a conservation perspective because pre-breeding dispersal in large vertebrates with deferred maturity usually lasts for several years, during which time individuals exploit large areas their success in finding food will thus greatly affect their survival prospects 14, 15, 16. For example, the foraging movements of pre-adult individuals during dispersal periods are typically aimed at finding food resources 13 and so, due to this non-territorial lifestyle, patches with higher food availability are preferably selected by non-breeding individuals. Several recent examples show the importance of movement ecology studies in topics such as age-related aspects of migration 3, the energetics and timing of migration 4, the conservation of migratory flyways 5, the selection of stopover, wintering and breeding areas 6, 7, 8, 9, the influence of environmental conditions 10, transboundary management policies 11 and foraging behaviour 12.Īge classes of most large territorial vertebrates segregate spatially as a consequence of their breeding status and the different ways in which they exploit food resources. Thus, the link between movement ecology and biodiversity is a key factor in understanding ecological and evolutionary processes and in improving the efficacy of conservation efforts 1, 2. Movement ecology is an emerging discipline that can play a critical role in the design and improvement of management and conservation measures that target threatened taxa. Our findings will help develop guidelines for establishing priority areas based on spatial use, and also optimize management and conservation actions for this threatened species. For non-territorial and territorial individuals, 54% and 46% of their home ranges (K90), respectively, were outside protected areas.
![eagle 7.6.0 freeware restrictions eagle 7.6.0 freeware restrictions](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mDq3ly9QxTE/maxresdefault.jpg)
Taking into account high-use core areas (K20), Supplementary Feeding Sites (SFS) do not seem to play an important role in the use of space by bearded vultures. Territorial females moved greater distances (12 km) than males (6.6 km).
![eagle 7.6.0 freeware restrictions eagle 7.6.0 freeware restrictions](https://cdn.sparkfun.com/assets/7/3/a/7/0/51f6d989ce395fd16d000004.png)
Daily maximum distances travelled per day also differed between territorial (8.2 km) and non-territorial individuals (26.5 km). Mean daily movements differed between territorial (23.8 km) and non-territorial birds (46.1 km), and differences were also found between sexes in non-territorial birds. Territorial individuals exploited home ranges of about 50 km 2, while non-territorial birds used areas of around 10 000 km 2 (with no seasonal differences). Our findings suggest that spatial asymmetries are a consequence of breeding status and age-classes. Here, we describe the age and sex specific spatial and temporal ranging patterns of 19 bearded vultures Gypaetus barbatus tracked with GPS technology.
![eagle 7.6.0 freeware restrictions eagle 7.6.0 freeware restrictions](https://video.informer.com/p8/video-preview-eagle-by-cadsoft-computer-gmbh-v6.jpg)
Understanding the movement of threatened species is important if we are to optimize management and conservation actions.