Nesting of the Aplomado Falcon (<i>Falco f. femoralis </i> )in San Luis province

In this paper we describe the activity of a nesting pair of Aplomado Falcons (Falco f.femoralis) during the first days of the nestling period. The nest was found in a Chañar tree (Geoffroea decorticans) at a heíght of 4.5 m in San Luis province. The female remained at the nest 94.14% of the observation time (brooding: 86.90%) and fed thc nestlings with arate of 0.47 items/h. Feeding periods lasted in average 560 sec (Ra: 360-780 scc; n:9). The male was seen on the nest 1.28% of the obscrvation time and brought prcy with a frequency of 0.41 items/h. Information of nest and nestling characteristics, territory, defense, caching behavior and vocalizations is also given. Finally we provide a compilation about nesting ofthc Aplomado Falcon in Argentina

Conservation medicine, diseases and raptors

Como resultado de los cambios de origen humano en los ambientes naturales, del sostenido aumento de la población humana mundial y de la creciente tasa de contacto entre seres humanos, animales silvestres y domésticos, la exposición de todos ellos a macroparásitos (helmintos y artrópodos) y microparásitos (bacterias, virus, protozoos) está en constante aumento. Esto conduce a la aparición de numerosas enfermedades en animales y seres humanos. Sumados a los factores clásicamente considerados (pérdida de hábitat, introducción de especies, efecto en cadena de las extinciones y persecución directa), los parásitos pueden ocasionar también severos cambios demográficos en poblaciones de aves rapaces y otros animales silvestres, y contribuir a su declinación. Como respuesta a esta situación surge una nueva disciplina de crisis: la medicina de la conservación. Sus objetivos son la conservación de la biodiversidad y lograr el restablecimiento de la salud de los ecosistemas naturales y de todos sus componentes. A diferencia de enfoques previos, los cuales percibían a la conservación y a la salud de las especies animales y de los seres humanos como temas separados, la medicina de la conservación se preocupa por todos ellos, dado que la pérdida del estado de salud en cualquiera de estos componentes puede impactar negativamente en los otros. La conservación de las aves rapaces de Argentina dentro de un marco de desarrollo sustentable necesita de la colaboración y el esfuerzo mancomunado de profesionales provenientes no solo de las ciencias médicas y biológicas sino también de las sociales, políticas y económicas. La medicina de la conservación puede ser el marco adecuado para quienes comparten estos ideales.The explosive rate of growth of human populations and human related environmental changes have lead to increased exposure of humans, domestic animals and wildlife to each other’s macroparasites (helminths and arthropods) and microparasites (bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa). This contributes to the emergence of new diseases in all of them. When combined with other classically considered factors (habitat loss, species introductions, extinction chains, and direct human persecution), parasites may cause severe demographic changes and declines in raptor and other wildlife populations. As a response to this problem, a new discipline has appeared in recent years: conservation medicine. Its goals include the conservation of biodiversity and the re-establishment of the health of natural ecosystems and of all of its components. As an important difference with previous approaches that considered conservation and the health of wildlife, domestic animals and humans as separated issues, conservation medicine considers them all together, given that the presence of diseases in any one of them could have an impact on the others. Conservation of Argentine birds of prey in the frame of sustained development requires the collaborative work of professionals coming not only from medical and biological sciences but also from the fields of social, political and economic sciences. Conservation medicine could be the most adequate framework to approach these difficult issues

Trattamento con ormone della crescita in età pediatrica. Importanza dell’aderenza alla terapia nelle varie indicazioni, con particolare riferimento alla sindrome di Turner

Riassunto L’ormone della crescita ricombinante (recombinant human Growth Hormone - rhGH) viene utilizzato da 30 anni per il trattamento di varie forme di bassa statura. Tuttavia, ancora oggi vi è un’ampia variabilità di risposta alla terapia con GH, tanto che un cospicuo numero di pazienti mostra una insoddisfacente risposta alla terapia, non raggiungendo una statura adulta normale. Da qui la necessità di un’ottimizzazione della terapia con GH e, soprattutto, di un’analisi dei vari fattori che intervengono nella risposta alla terapia stessa. Uno di questi fattori può essere la scarsa aderenza al trattamento. È stata infatti dimostrata una correlazione diretta tra il grado di aderenza e la velocità di crescita. Diversi studi hanno cercato di valutare la prevalenza della non-aderenza alla terapia con GH in età pediatrica, che risulta essere molto variabile (dal 5 all’82%), a seconda dei metodi e delle definizioni utilizzate. L’elevata frequenza, talvolta riscontrata, di scarsa aderenza alla terapia può essere dovuta al fatto che il trattamento con GH è cronico e deve essere somministrato durante differenti stadi di sviluppo del bambino, fino all’adolescenza. Numerosi fattori possono ostacolare l’aderenza alla terapia con GH nei pazienti pediatrici, come difficoltà legate al farmaco o problemi cognitivi/ emozionali. Da qui la necessità di ottimizzare la compliance, individuando degli interventi efficaci per migliorare l’aderenza alla terapia. Discutendo dell’aderenza al trattamento con ormone della crescita, una menzione particolare deve essere fatta alla sindrome di Turner, in cui la dimensione psico-sociale, considerata in tutta la sua complessità, ha un ruolo fondamentale e l’aspetto della compliance deve essere particolarmente monitorato da parte del pediatra endocrinologo. Concludendo, affrontare il problema della scarsa aderenza alla terapia con ormone della crescita in età pediatrica è fondamentale al fine di migliorare il risultato del trattamento. La valutazione dell’aderenza dovrebbe essere effettuata impiegando misure oggettive e dovrebbero essere individuati interventi efficaci per migliorare i risultati in termini di efficacia e contenimento dei costi

Aves del departamento Deseado, Santa Cruz

Birds of Deseado Department, Santa Cruz province, Argentina. Between 20 september and 12 january 1988 we carried out a study of the birds present at estancia "El Cuadro" and Monumento Natural Bosques Petrificados", Deseado Department,Santa Cruz province, Argentina. We recorded 66 species of birds. Five (7,6%). were common, 21 (31,8%) were frecuent, 26 (39,4%) were occasional and 14 (21,2%) were rare. Twentyeight species (42,4%) were nesting in the arca. Data about habitat use by birds are presented. Neoxolmi srubetra and Progne modesta are first recorded for Santa Cruz province

Breeding biology of grey-eagle buzzard (Geranoaetus melanoleucus) in Southern Patagonia, Argentina

La biología reproductiva de Geranoaetus melanoleucus fue estudiada en el departamento Deseado, provincia de Santa Cruz, entre septiembre de 1987 y enero de 1988. La temporada reproductiva se extendió, al menos, desde septiembre hasta fines de enero, cuando todos los pichones alcanzaron las ocho semanas de edad. Se encontraron seis parejas nidificando en un área de 130 km², con una densidad de una pareja cada 21.6 km². Todos los nidos estaban ubicados en paredones basálticos, entre 2.8 y 20 m (promedio 8.99 m) de altura. Algunas parejas tenían nidos alternativos en su territorio de nidificación. La postura promedio para seis nidos fue de 2.5 huevos. El período de incubación medido en tres nidos tuvo un rango de 37 a 42 días. La eclosión ocurrió entre el 7 y el 22 de noviembre, con un éxito de eclosión del 100%. Cinco de las seis parejas (83.3%) criaron exitosamente al menos un pichón. El éxito de cría fue de 1.67 pichones por pareja. Fueron registradas cuatro vocalizaciones diferentes para los adultos y dos para los pichones. Se describen las cópulas y el desarrollo de los pichones. Las Águilas Moras parecían tolerar a muchas especies, incluso a otras águilas, pero sufrían frecuentemente los ataques de Falco sparverius y Circus cinereus. El ataque de las águilas hacia estas especies fue también notado. La liebre europea (Lepus europaeus) fue la presa más aportada a los pichones en el nido.The breeding biology of Grey Eagle-Buzzard Geranoaetus melanoleucus was studied at Deseado department, Santa Cruz province, Argentina, between September 1987 and January 1988. The breeding period, as observed, extended at least from September to late January, when all birds reached an age of eight weeks. Six breeding pairs were found in 130 km², with a density of one pair per 21.6 km². All nests were placed in basaltic cliffs, between 2.8 and 20 m height (mean 8.99 m). Alternative nests were found for some pairs in their nesting range. Clutch size was 2.5 eggs for six pairs. Incubation period for three nesting pairs ranged between 37 and 42 days. Hatching occurred between November 7 and 22, with a hatching success of 100%. Five pairs out of six (83.3%) successfully raised at least one chick. Breeding success was 1.67 nestlings per pair. Four vocalizations were recorded for adults and two for nestlings. Mating and nestling development are described. Eagles appeared to be tolerant to some raptors in the area, including other eagles, but suffered the attacks of Falco sparverius and Circus cinereus. Attacks of eagles upon these raptors were also noted. European hare (Lepus europaeus) was the main prey brought to the nestlings

Nesting of the Aplomado Falcon (Falco f. femoralis) in San Luis province

In this paper we describe the activity of a nesting pair of Aplomado Falcons (Falco f.femoralis) during the first days of the nestling period. The nest was found in a Chañar tree (Geoffroea decorticans) at a heíght of 4.5 m in San Luis province. The female remained at the nest 94.14% of the observation time (brooding: 86.90%) and fed thc nestlings with arate of 0.47 items/h. Feeding periods lasted in average 560 sec (Ra: 360-780 scc; n:9). The male was seen on the nest 1.28% of the obscrvation time and brought prcy with a frequency of 0.41 items/h. Information of nest and nestling characteristics, territory, defense, caching behavior and vocalizations is also given. Finally we provide a compilation about nesting ofthc Aplomado Falcon in Argentina

Gut microbiota plasticity in insular lizards under reversed island syndrome

Animals living on small islands are more drastically exposed to environmental changes, such as food or water starvation, and rapid temperature shifts. Facing such conditions, and probably thank to adaptive plasticity mechanisms, some animals display a Reversed Island Syndrome (RIS), a suite of traits, including skin pigmentation, voracity, sexual dimorphism, showed differently from mainland relatives. Here, we analyse a so far poorly explored aspect of RIS: the effect of this on the microbiota composition of host Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus), strongly influenced by the animal's lifestyle, and conditioning the same. We compare mainland and island populations, assessing the difference between their microbial communities and their response under unexpected food, experimentally provided. Our observations showed a significant difference in microbiota communities between island and mainland groups, depended mainly from changes in relative abundance of the shared genera (difference due to decrease/increase). Exposure to experimental diet regimes resulted into significative reshaping of bacterial composition of microbiota and a greater variation in body mass only in the island population. Our results could be an evidence that gut microbial community contributes to adaptive plasticity mechanisms of island lizards under RIS to efficiently respond to unexpected changes

Fratricidio en el Águila Mora Geranoaetus melanoleucus

Siblicide was observed in the Black Chested Buzzard Eagle. Aggression between nest mates was seen in three out of five nests in study. Two nestlings from two of these nests died within the first ten days of hatching (one was found dead at the base of the nesting c1iff).A third nest also suffered early brood reduction probably due to this phenomenon. In the study area the species seems to behave as a facultative cainist

Reproducción del Gavilán Ceniciento Circus cinereus en la Patagonia argentina

En este trabajo se presentan datos sobre la biología reproductiva del Gavilán Ceniciento (Circus cinereus) en la provincia de Santa Cruz. El estudio fue llevado a cabo desde el 20 sep de 1987 hasta el 5 ene de 1988. Los Gavilanes se hallaban nidificando en forma colonial en un mallín. Los diez nidos encontrados estaban dispersos en un área de 3,5 hectáreasy la distancia promedio con el nido más cercano fue de 46,4 m. La densidad de nidificación fue de un nido cada 0,35 ha. La postura promedio ± DS fue de 3,5 ± 0,91 huevos y el período de incubación en un nido con 5 huevos fue de aprox.28 a 32 días. Un 54 % de los huevos produjeron pichones. La temporada de cría se extendió desde fines de septiembre hastafines de febrero o principios de marzo. Los Gavilanes defendían colectivamente los nidos frente a aves rapaces y ante personas.Un caso de poliginia fue registrado. Las vocalizaciones, despliegues aéreos y características de los pichones son descriptos. Los hábitos reproductivos del Gavilán Ceniciento son en general similares a los de otras especies del género pero difieren de las demás en la existencia de nidificación colonial, defensa colectiva de los nidos y ausencia de agresividad entre los ejemplares de la colonia.Data on the breeding biology of the Cinereous Harrier (Circus cinereus) in Santa Cruz province, Argentina, are given. The study was conducted from 20 Sep 1987 to 5 Jan 1988. Hamers nested colonially in a marsh dominated by Juncus sp. Ten nests were placed in 3,5 has. Mean distance to the nearest conspecific nest was 46,4 m. Nesting density was l nest per 0,35 ha. Mean clutch size was 3,5 ± 0,91 eggs. Incubation period in one nest with 5 eggs was 28- 32 days. 54 % of the eggs hatched. Breeding period extended from later Sep to later Feb or early Mar. Hamers defended colectively the nests from humans or raptors. One case of polygyny was recorded. Vocalizations, aerial displays and nestling development are described. The breeding biology of the Cinereous Hamer appears to be similar to that of other Circus species except for its colonial nesting habits, colective defences of nests and absence of intraspecific attacks between nesting birds