Alcotán europeo – Falco subbuteo Linnaeus, 1758

Aves - Orden Falconiformes - Familia Falconidae en la Enciclopedia Virtual de Vertebrados Españoles, http://www.vertebradosibericos.org/. Versiones anteriores: 14-06-2005; 16-01-2007; 29-01-2010; 31-03-2014A comprehensive review of the natural history of the Hobby Falco subbuteo in Spain.Peer reviewe

Handbuch der Oologie.

v.1:Lf.3(p.129-192

Concentraciones anormales de Alcotanes (Falco subbuteo) en periodo reproductor

El falcó mostatxut és una espècie considerada com a solitària. Durant les estacions de cria dels anys 1988 i 1989 es van observar a Sant Ponç (Lleida) un grup d'11 individus. Aquests ocells caçaven, principalment insectes (Coleoptera i Formicidae) i, rarament, orenetes cuablanques. Aquesta àrea de caça estava situada en un territori sense cap parella reproductora. L'any 1990 una parella de falcó mostatxut es va instal·lar en aquesta àrea i les agrupacions abans esmentades van desaparèixer. Aquestes observacions es troben dins de les més excepcionals que s'han efectuat en el període de cria en una zona amb menjar abundant

Aproximació a l'estudi dels rapinyaires "(Falconiformes)" dels massissos de Sant Llorenç del Munt-Serra de l'Obac, Montserrat i zones envoltants

This work mainly focuses on the study of the status, nourishment and protection of Raptors in the aforesaid area of Catalonia, with a surface area of 486 km2, in wich a total of 17 species have been detected, 8 of which are surely nesting, 2 have been more or less recently extinguished, and the rest have been observed in their passing or accidentally. The approximate status of the nesting species is (in pairs): Accipiter gentilis (10- 15), Accipiter nisus (10-15), Buteo buteo (8-12), Hieraaetus fasciatus (3-4), Circaetus ga- Llicus (3-4), Falco peregrinus (3-5), Falco subbuteo (2-3) and Falco tinnunculus (10-15); a diversity of 2.77 bits has been observed in a sample of 140 km2. In what concerns their feeding, we may stress the importance of Oryctolagus, consumed by Hieraaetus fasciatus, Buteo buteo, and Accipiter gentilis; due to the fact of having seen their number reduced through myxomatosis, Oryctolagus seem to have been substituted by Lacerta lepida, Rattus sp. and passeriformes. We may point out the presence of Chiroptera (Pipistrellus sp.) in the diet of Falco peregrinus and Crustacea (Nephrops norvegicus) in F. tinnunculus, the last one being a product of garbage disposal areas; in all the rest, the feeding patterns are similar to the ones found in the rest of Iberia. The problems of preservation of Raptors have no doubt reached their critical point, due to the great quantities of them that are captured, to the destruction of their nests and environment, and to the poisoning they are suffering through phytosanitary products

High‐tech training for birds of prey

Raptors are some of the most at‐risk groups of birds in the world and saving these top predators is essential for maintaining the health of many ecosystems. After hospitalization, raptors are often released when muscular recovery is still unfitting when they are unable to hunt efficiently and are at risk of dying from starvation within a few days. On the other hand, if a convalescent bird is trained with the only use of classic falconry techniques, it is likely to remain dependent on the caretaker/falconer even long after the release, so unable to hunt independently. To overcome these problems, a new training method was conceived, which could improve raptors’ muscular strength while limiting habituation to humans. This has been possible due to the combination of classic falconry techniques and modern technologies, such as the introduction of specific workouts with drones. Three falconry raptors and one wild Eurasian hobby were trained through high‐tech falconry to develop the ability to catch, grasp, and airlift their prey at a different speed, altitude, and resistance. The main findings of this study were: (i) The rapid increase of the raptors’ speed; (ii) the muscular growth and endurance, and (iii) successful reintroduction of a wild bird

Hobbies (Falco cuvieri and F. subbuteo) versus bats over Kampala skies

No Abstract

Tendències poblacionals dels rapinyaires migratoris al Desert de les Palmes (llevant ibèric)

El canvi climàtic, el procés de calfament global induït per les activitats de l’home, és un procés que estàtenint un fort impacte en els èssers vius de tot el planeta. Les poblacions salvatges depenen de les condicions ambientals (temperatura i pluviometria) i se sincronitzen amb elles per a desenrotllar els seus cicles vitals. Els canvi sen  estos factors abiòtics provoquen per tant un aresposta ecològica que pot variar en direcció i intensitat. En este marc,les dades sobre l’evolució en la fenologia i la intensitat de pas de  les aus rapinyaires en  l’àrea Mediterrània ibèrica són molt escassos. Mostrem ací l’evolució de la fenologia i intensitat de pas de les poblacions de rapinyaire smigrants comuns en època postnupcial en una localitat de l’entorn Mediterran iibèric.Elxoriguer,un  migrant presaharià comú,està veient reduïts els seus efectius de forma significativa. Les tendències poblacionals de la resta dels rapinyaires migratoris estudiats són estables,encara que amb una certa tendència a l’augmentde les poblacions migrants d’esparver, àguila serpera i àguila calçada.La mendiana de pas mostra una tendència nosignificativa en totes les espècies,encara que el patró de pas de les espècies transaharianes s’està avançant,mentres que una espècie presahariana,el xoriguer,mostrauncertretard.Elfenomendelamigracióinversadel’àguilacalçada,detectatambintensitatperprimeravegadaen 2004, pareix ben establit,i només recentment inclou a exemplars adults,absents els primers anys.Els canvis recents observats en l’estació del Desert de les Palmes es poden explicar a la llum de les prediccions sobre l’impacte del canvi climàtic en les  aus migrants: tendència de migrants transaharians a avançarelpaspostnupcial, i tendència d’espècies presaharianes a retardar les dates de pas i a disminuir els seus efectius migrants.Este treball suposa una contribució a l’estudi de l’impacte del canvi climàtic en els rapinyaires de la Mediterrània occidental.Population trends in migratory raptors in Desierto de las Palmas (eastern Iberia)Climate change, the process of global warming induced by human activities, is a process that is having a strong impact on living beings across the globe. Wild populations are dependent on environmental conditions (temperature and rainfall) and are synchronized with them in order to develop their life cycles. The changes in these abiotic factors cause, therefore, an ecological response in living beings that can vary in direction and intensity. In this framework, information on changes in the phenology and intensity of raptor passage in the Iberian Mediterranean area are scarce. We show here data on theevolution of phenology and pass intensity of common autumn migrant raptors in the Iberian Mediterranean area.The kestrel, a common pre-Saharan migrant, is reducing its numbers significantly. Population trendsof the rest of the migratory raptors studied are stable, although with a tendency to an increase in the migrating populations of Sparrowhawk, Snake Eagle and Booted Eagle. Median passage dates shows anon significant trend in all species, although we detected a pattern in transsaharan species to advancethe migration, while a presaharian species, the kestrel shows a certain delay. The phenomenon of reverse migration in the booted eagle, detected with intensity for the first time in 2004 seems well established,and only recently includes adult birds.The recent changes observed in the station of “Desert de les Palmes” can be explained in the light ofpredictions of the impact of climate change on migratory birds: a trend of trans-Saharan migrants toadvance the return to wintering areas, and a tendency of pre-Saharan species to delay passage dates andto reduce the migratory population. This work is a contribution to the study of the impact of climaticchange in raptors in the western Mediterranea