Tools & Results within the
Alpine Bearded Vulture Monitoring
Richard Zink
International Bearded Vulture Monitoring
www.gyp-monitoring.com
Overview
I.
Where we are!
II. What do we aim for?
III. How to proceed?
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Where we are
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Where we are
Alpine Bearded Vulture Data 2009
Alps
AUT
FRA
ITA
CHE
F/C2 Productivity
0,53
0
0,63 0,67
0,50
D/C2 % Breeding Pairs
0,76
0,50
0,75 1,00
0,75
F/D
% succ. Breeding Pairs
0,69
0
0,83 0,67
0,67
C1
controlled Territories
17
2
8
3
4
C2
controlled mature Pairs
17
2
8
3
4
D
pairs with egg
13
1
6
3
3
E
pairs with hatching
11
0
6
3
2
F
pairs with chick
9
0
5
2
2
G
fledgelings
8
0
4
2
2
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Where we are
20
Alps
15
10
5
0
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
pairs w ith egg
International Bearded Vulture Monitoring
2003
2004
2005
pairs w ith hatching
2006
2007
2008
2009
fledgelings
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Where we are
Alpine Bearded Vulture Data Total
Alps AUT
Frau
ITA CHE
F/C2 Productivity
0,46
0
0,50 0,56
0,39
D/C2 % Breeding Pairs
0,76
0,80
0,86 0,72
0,56
F/D
% succ. Breeding Pairs
0,61
0
0,58 0,77
0,70
C1
controlled Territories
143
14
57
46
26
C2
controlled mature Pairs
127
10
56
43
18
D
pairs with egg
97
8
48
31
10
E
pairs with hatching
79
4
36
30
9
F
pairs with chick
59
0
28
24
7
G
fledgelings
59
0
28
24
7
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Where we are
Alps
1
x
0,75
0,5
0,25
0
1997
1998
1999
2000
Productivity
2001
2002
2003
2004
% Breeding Pairs
International Bearded Vulture Monitoring
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Linear (Productivity)
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What do we aim for
Increase the population
•
Evaluate mortality
•
Increase effective population size
Condition of the population
•
Reproduction
•
Adult survival (!)
•
Population size
Connection of (sub)populations
•
Strategic planning of further release
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Evaluation of Mortality
Mortality by Schaub et al.
1st year = 11% and >1st year = 5%
Æ population stable even with ~50% mortality increase
Calculated Population 2009 (135 individuals):
123 birds >1 year
Æ 6,15
4 birds released + 8 fledglings 1st year
Æ 1,32
+ 7,47
That means we loose in average between 7 and 8 birds each year!
50% increase Æ 7,47 + 3,74 = 11,21
4 more dead birds would turn the positive trend into a negative!
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Evaluation of Mortality
Action to reduce mortality risks
-
Essential for the selection of further release actions
Continuous changes (now lead … later ?)
New threats: e.g. wind turbines
Illegal shooting / poaching
Unintended poisoning (e.g. lead or Diclofenac)
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Evaluation of Mortality
Reason of Mortality (n=30 of 219 or 13,7%)
• Cable Collision
• Avalanche
• Poison (incl. lead n=3)!
• Shooting
13%
23%
17%
10%
27%
at release
collision
shot
10%
avalanche
recaptured (incl. lead)
unknown
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Intentional(?) illegal shooting
2/3 of
Alpine Mortality
<1990
2008
?
2008
NP
2008 ?
2007
2008
1994
2001?
2005
2007
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M. Knollseisen
Unintended poisoning
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Increase effective population size
Broaden genetic basis
Increase effective population size
-
equal sex ratio (until 2009: 72 males / 86 females = 0.84)
Focus on rare alleles
Improve connectivity (gene flow)
-
Strategic planning of further release sites
Phylopatry
Other species
Mortality risk in unknown areas
Godoy et al. 2004
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Condition of the Population
Reproduction
-
Age of birds when they start to reproduce
Stability of pair bonds / turnover of reproducing birds
Time until a territorial bird is replaced
Timing of reproduction Æ experience of the birds (female?)
Proportion of trios (?)
Distribution of territories/breeding units
Population Parameter
-
Productivity
% of brooding pairs
Breeding success
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Condition of the Population
Figure provided by D. Hegglin
At which age birds starts to reproduce?
yearly survival*: 1. year ~ 0.89
>1 year ~ 0.95
mortality until 8 years:
~ 0.38
18
15
* Schaub, Zink, Beissmann, Sarrazin & Arlettaz:
Journal of Applied Ecology 2009
12
9
mean age 8.3 years
6
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2008
2008
2008
2008
2007
2007
2007
2007
2007
2007
2006
2005
2005
2005
2002
2002
2002
2002
2002
2000
2000
2000
1998
1998
1997
0
1997
3
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Condition of the Population
10
Mean Fledging Date
9
(red line)
12.Aug
7
7
05.Aug
5
29.Jul
5
r2 = 0,8017
n° fledglings
22.Jul
3
15.Jul
08.Jul
2
1
2
1
2
1
01.Jul
1997 1998 1999
2000 2001
N fledglings =55
International Bearded Vulture Monitoring
2002 2003 2004
2005 2006
2007 2008 2009
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Condition of the Population
Mean Fledging Date
first brood (blue) & advanced broods (yellow line)
12.Aug
05.Aug
05.Aug
05.Aug
29.Jul
04.Aug
02.Aug
28.Jul
27.Jul
22.Jul
18.Jul
15.Jul
10.Jul
08.Jul
01.Jul
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
N fledglings =55
International Bearded Vulture Monitoring
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
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Condition of the Population
Mean Fledging Date
first brood (blue) & advanced broods (yellow line)
12.Aug
05.Aug
29.Jul
22.Jul
15.Jul
08.Jul
01.Jul
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
N fledglings =55
International Bearded Vulture Monitoring
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
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Condition of the Population
10
Italy
8
6
4
2
0
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
controlled mature Pairs
pairs w ith egg
fledgelings
Linear (fledgelings)
International Bearded Vulture Monitoring
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
pairs w ith hatching
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Condition of the Population
Studying Survival (Demography)
Identification of a certain fraction of the population
Visual (!) marks
Release of marked birds
Marking chicks in nature (but no wing tags)
Only experienced pairs!!!
-
Capture birds older than 2-3 years (but no feeding stations)
Monitoring breeding units
Genetic samples
Change of birds
Telemetry
How many birds can be equipped? Until now 19(11) birds ~1year
Genetics?
How many chicks can be sampled in nature? Æ 27%
When nests are controlled increase of samples Æ 50%?
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Condition of the Population
Estimating population size (based on visual marks!)
Synchronous counts
-
Alpine Observation Days (in 2008 Æ 96 birds)
Monitoring of breeding pairs
Modeling
-
Sight- re-sighting statistics (in 2009 Æ ~135 birds)
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Strategic planning of further release
Strategic planning of further release
-
Position of new release sites (phylopatry, attraction)
Occurrence of other vulture species
Unknown risks in new areas
Management of feeding stations (in Pyrenees)
Management of feeding sites
-
Massif Central
Pyrenees
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Conclusions & Recommendations I
1. The monitoring focus will differ between areas
-
Dispersal & Mortality (Austria, SW-Alps incl. Vercors) Æ Telemetry
Reproduction (NW- and Central Alps) Æ Marking & Sampling
2. Survival rates are needed to check condition of Population
-
Identify as many individuals and as often you can (visually and
genetically)
Satellite tracked birds (especially birds older than 2 years)
Genetic samples (from nests!)
Synchronous counts
Demography modelling
3. Mortality threats differ between areas and change over time
-
Face the problem of lead
Be cautious in areas with wolf presence (intentional poisoning)
Monitor effect of wind turbines & aerial cables
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Conclusions & Recommendations II
4. Release tactics differ in efficiency
-
Balance sex ratio
Add rare genotypes (in “save” places)
Choose places in the best geographical position
Improve visual monitoring and raise public acceptance
Avoid places with increased mortality risk (other vultures as indicator)
Include local management into the IBM
5. Habitat quality impacts the distribution of pairs
-
Try to extend habitat modelling on the entire alpine range
6. Restore, maintain and connect remaining populations (gene flow)
-
Corse !!!
Crete !!
N-Africa !
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Data collected by:
Thank you for the excellent collaboration!
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