The feeding ecology of Bonelli's eagle () floaters in southern Spain: implications for conservation

Jesús Caro (1) , Diego Ontiveros (1) , Juan M. Pleguezuelos (1)

1 Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias

Although many studies have investigated the feeding habits of Palaearctic raptors, few have analysed non-breeding populations during dispersal. Bonelli's eagle (), a threatened species in Western Europe, has a relatively long and critical dispersal period. We studied feeding habits, prey selection, and the influence of prey density on floater abundance in this species during its dispersal period in southern Spain. Differences were found between the diet of floaters and that of the closest breeding populations. Diet diversity was rather low for floaters, with European wild rabbits () being the main prey and the only prey positively selected. Moreover, the number of floater Bonelli's eagles observed in the dispersal areas was positively associated with rabbit abundance. Other prey included red-legged partridges () and pigeons ( sp.). We propose measures to match suitable prey availability for floater eagles in settlement areas and the use of such areas as human hunting fields.

Mots clés: Conservation actions; Hunting; Prey selection; Settlement areas

Jesús Caro, Diego Ontiveros, Juan M. Pleguezuelos. The feeding ecology of Bonelli's eagle () floaters in southern Spain: implications for conservation. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 2011, 57 (4), pp.729-736. ⟨10.1007/s10344-010-0480-z⟩. ⟨hal-00656344⟩