Conservation Ecology and Monitoring of Raptors
Raptors, or birds of prey, are often used to indicate the state of an ecosystem, and monitoring their populations can help us to understand ecosystem processes. Raptors are particularly good animals for monitoring because they are big and therefore charismatic and easy to observe. Whether we’re monitoring nesting biology and reproductive output, counting individuals on roads, or setting up trail cameras in the woods, our team engages in science that is important to ecological well-being and to society.
Non-invasive Genetic Analysis
Our team uses non-invasive monitoring techniques to gather information on poorly known raptor demographic parameters like survivorship, population size, and rates of immigration and emigration. Traditionally, this was done with capture and recapture of individuals, an approach that requires exceptional effort for relatively poor return. However, in the last decade, genetic analysis of non-invasively collected samples, such as hair, scat, and feathers, has become a powerful method to follow individual wild animals. Our team was the first to develop and use non-invasive genetic mark-recapture techniques to estimate demography of raptor populations. We initially focused on imperial eagles in Kazakhstan and we are now using those same tools to understand the demography of golden eagles in California and vultures in Cambodia.
Motion-sensitive Cameras
Our team has also developed a network of motion-sensitive cameras for detection of birds of prey. When set in the field with bait, a motion-sensitive camera becomes a “trap” that “captures” images of all kinds of wildlife. Before this project, such camera traps had been deployed to monitor mammals. We are the first to use them specifically to target birds. Using these camera traps, we have discovered that the winter range of golden eagles in eastern North America is much larger than previously known and we are cataloguing important aspects of the biology, demography, and ecology of this poorly studied population.
Learn about other projects led by Dr. Todd Katzner.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Seasonal and age-related variation in daily travel distances of California Condors
Steppe eagle Aquila nipalensis
Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus
Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca
Linking behavioral states to landscape features for improved conservation management
Endangered Australian top predator is frequently exposed to anticoagulant rodenticides
Predicted climate-induced reductions in scavenging in eastern North America
Golden Eagle
Relative energy production determines effect of repowering on wildlife mortality at wind energy facilities
Eagle fatalities are reduced by automated curtailment of wind turbines
Yearly temperature fluctuations and survey speed influence road counts of wintering raptors
Shared functional traits explain synchronous changes in long‐term count trends of migratory raptors
Plain language descriptions for some related USGS products and publications.
Raptors, or birds of prey, are often used to indicate the state of an ecosystem, and monitoring their populations can help us to understand ecosystem processes. Raptors are particularly good animals for monitoring because they are big and therefore charismatic and easy to observe. Whether we’re monitoring nesting biology and reproductive output, counting individuals on roads, or setting up trail cameras in the woods, our team engages in science that is important to ecological well-being and to society.
Non-invasive Genetic Analysis
Our team uses non-invasive monitoring techniques to gather information on poorly known raptor demographic parameters like survivorship, population size, and rates of immigration and emigration. Traditionally, this was done with capture and recapture of individuals, an approach that requires exceptional effort for relatively poor return. However, in the last decade, genetic analysis of non-invasively collected samples, such as hair, scat, and feathers, has become a powerful method to follow individual wild animals. Our team was the first to develop and use non-invasive genetic mark-recapture techniques to estimate demography of raptor populations. We initially focused on imperial eagles in Kazakhstan and we are now using those same tools to understand the demography of golden eagles in California and vultures in Cambodia.
Motion-sensitive Cameras
Our team has also developed a network of motion-sensitive cameras for detection of birds of prey. When set in the field with bait, a motion-sensitive camera becomes a “trap” that “captures” images of all kinds of wildlife. Before this project, such camera traps had been deployed to monitor mammals. We are the first to use them specifically to target birds. Using these camera traps, we have discovered that the winter range of golden eagles in eastern North America is much larger than previously known and we are cataloguing important aspects of the biology, demography, and ecology of this poorly studied population.
Learn about other projects led by Dr. Todd Katzner.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Seasonal and age-related variation in daily travel distances of California Condors
Steppe eagle Aquila nipalensis
Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus
Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca
Linking behavioral states to landscape features for improved conservation management
Endangered Australian top predator is frequently exposed to anticoagulant rodenticides
Predicted climate-induced reductions in scavenging in eastern North America
Golden Eagle
Relative energy production determines effect of repowering on wildlife mortality at wind energy facilities
Eagle fatalities are reduced by automated curtailment of wind turbines
Yearly temperature fluctuations and survey speed influence road counts of wintering raptors
Shared functional traits explain synchronous changes in long‐term count trends of migratory raptors
Plain language descriptions for some related USGS products and publications.