This page provides information on articles, papers, books and other publications relevant to raptors and raptor workers. It will primarily relate to current material and please Contact Us with any suggestions for inclusion.
 Author(s): Newson,S.E., Rexstad,E.A.,Baillie,S.R., Buckland, S.T. & Aebisher, N.J. Published by: Journal of Applied Ecology, 10th June 2010 ISBN: 00 Price: £0 Availability: By subscription - Journal of Applied Ecology 47:244-252 Summary: The full title is 'Population change of avian predatorsand Grey Squirrels in England:is there evidence for an impact on avian prey populations?'. This paper used 40 years of monitoring data on predators and prey numbers but found little evidence of large-scale impacts of avian predators and Grey Squirrels on avian prey populations. The paper asked whether English populations of 29 species, mainly songbirds, had been depressed by increases in the abundance of two types of predators, firstly raptors such as Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and Buzzard, and secondly nest predators such as corvids, Grey Squirrel etc. For 22 of the 29 potential prey species there was no link between the increase of predator and the decline of prey species. Some of the other links were fairly tenuous but there was a link between increasing numbers of Sparrowhawks and decline in Bullfinch, Tree Sparrow and Reed Bunting and these negative associations may merit further work. The study also uncovered a large number of positive associations between predators and prey. |
 Author(s): Fletcher,K., Aebischer,N.J., Baines,D., Foster,R. & Hoodless,A.N. Published by: Journal of Applied Ecology, 10th June 2010 ISBN: 00 Price: £0 Availability: Journal of Applied Ecology 47: 263-272 Summary: The full title is 'Changes in breeding success and abundance of ground-nesting moorland birds in relation to the experimental deployment of legal predator control'. This is GWCT's 8 year long upland predator experiment which started in 2000. Predator control involving the removal of Carrion Crows, foxes and mustelids was varied between study plots. Breeding success of waders, Red Grouse and Meadow Pipits was on average three times greater with predator removal. It also influenced other population trends. Predator control could be a viable management strategy for potentially reversing the fortunes of some threatened upland species. Raptors were protected during the study, thus the apparent benefits of controlling generalist predators were seen even in the presence of raptors, contradicting the view that legal control of predators is ineffective if raptors are abundant. |
 Author(s): Jennifer Smart, Arjun Amar, Innes Sim, Brian Etheridge, Duncan Cameron, George Christie & Jeremy Wilson Published by: Biological Conservation 143 pp 1278-1286, 27th April 2010 ISBN: 00 Price: £0 Availability: by subscription from www.elsevier.com/locate/biocon Summary: This study aims to identify the proximate demographic and ultimate environmental constraints on red kites in north Scotland, a region with low population growth. Productivity in north Scotland was high compared to other Scottish and Welsh populations and equal to English populations with high population growth rates. In north Scotland, annual survival of wild-fledged birds was low for first-year birds compared to other Scottish populations and second-year survival declined over time. In north Scotland, 40% of 103 red kites found dead were killed illegally, mainly by direct poisoning. In the absence of illegal killing, we estimate that annual survival rates in wild red kites might increase from 0.37 to 0.54, 0.72 to 0.78 and 0.87 to 0.92 for first, second-year and adult birds respectively. Demographic rates from this study produce population trends that recapitulate observed trends for the north Scotland population (leading to a population of c40 pairs by 2006). Models in which the additive illegal killing mortality is excluded, predict a population trajectory and size (c300 pairs by 2006) very similar to that found in the Chilterns, a rapidly growing population (320 pairs in 2006) in south-east England re-introduced at the same time, but where rates of illegal killing are much lower. We conclude that illegal killing of red kites is the cause of poor population growth in north Scotland and the key challenge facing government is to find a way to eliminate this killing. |
 Author(s): Brian Etheridge, Mark Holling, Helen Riley, Chris Wernham & Des Thompson Published by: Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme, 15th April 2010 ISBN: 00 Price: £0 Availability: Available only as an electronic copy at http://www.scottishraptorgroups.org/media/SRMS_Report07.pdf Summary: The 2007 report records the efforts of the ten area Scottish Raptor Groups with additional results from RSPB, SNH, the Rare Breeding Birds Panel, Natural Research Ltd, Haworth Conservation Ltd, RPS Group and some other licensed individuals. A total of 4285 home ranges of raptors were visited and some 2614 breeding attempts were effectively monitored, representing a 3.5% increase on 2006. The report details the breeding performance of 20 species of bird of prey, owl and raven by Raptor Study Group area in a similar format to the previous reports of the SRMS covering 2003-2006. Also included in the report is a review of data submitted to the scheme over the first five years of its existence. |
 Author(s): Andrew Kelly, Kevin Leighton and Jason Newton Published by: British Birds Vol 103 No. 4 pp213-222, 01st April 2010 ISBN: 00 Price: £0 Availability: By subscription from www.britishbirds.co.uk Summary: Stable isotopes were analysed in two generations of feather growth in an Eagle Owl found in Norfolk in November 2006. The pattern between two generations of feathers from the Norfolk bird correspond to known moult patterns of Eagle Owls and suggest that the two generations of feathers were grown in different geographical regions. Though the possibility that the bird was reared in Britain cannot be ruled out, an origin in Scandinavia, north-continental Europe or mid-continental Russia was consistent with the findings. |
 Author(s): S. Rae Published by: Scottish Birds 30:1 pp 2-6, 18th March 2010 ISBN: 00 Price: £0 Availability: By subscription from the SOC - www.the-soc.org.uk Summary: Prey items of Merlins were counted in the Lewis Peatlands SPA in 2003 and 2005. This is an important area for waders but represented only 8% of prey items. The main prey item was Meadow Pipit (44%). The main difference from food studies elsewhere in the UK was the higher proportion of waders amongst prey and the number of insects such as moths, butterflies and dragonflies. |
 Author(s): S.Rae Published by: Scottish Birds 30:1 pp 7-13, 18th March 2010 ISBN: 00 Price: £0 Availability: By subscription from the SOC - www.the-soc.org.uk Summary: Lewis has no indigenous terrestrial predators which is the main cause of breeding failure by Merlins. The study area held a high density of Merlins, regularly spaced, and reared average sized broods (3.0 - 3.9). The main causes of breeding failure were non-laying in a year with cooler weather and predation of young and adults. Chick losses were of whole broods and Golden Eagle was the main predator. |
 Author(s): S.E.Newson, E.A.Rexstad, S.R.Baillie, S.T.Buckland & N.J.Aebischer Published by: Journal of Applied Ecology Vol.47 Issue2, 244-252, 12th March 2010 ISBN: 00 Price: £0 Availability: Official journal of British Ecological Society through Wiley Inter Science. Full abstract at http://www.3interscience.wiley.com/journal/123314383/abstract Summary: full title is Population change of avian predators and grey suirrels in England:is there evidence for an impact on avian prey population. This research was sponsored by Songbird Survival. Using national bird monitoring data, examined whether 29 bird populations had been depressed by Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Buzzard, as well as other nest predators such as Carrion Crow, Magpie , Jay etc. For 22 species no evidence that increases in avian predators are associated with large scale depression of prey abundance or population declines. More detailed work is probably required on the other 7 species. |
 Author(s): Ruth E. Tingay & Todd E.Katzer (Editors) Published by: Cornell University Press, 03rd March 2010 ISBN: 978-0-8014-4873-7 Price: £18.95 Availability: In UK through booksellers or from www.nbninternational.com Summary: This publication is about observing and conserving raptors round the world and features personal narratives from twenty-nine leading eagle researchers in which they share their experiences of studying eagles around the world. The book covers twenty-four species on six continents from the well known Bald Eagle to the New Guinea Harpy Eagle, and from common African Fish Eagle to the endangered Phillipine Eagle. It features 14 colour photographs, 29 halftones, information on raptor conservation, and a global list of all eagle species with ranges and conservation status. Co-editor Ruth Tingay is an active member of Lothian & Borders RSG, and three field stories were written by SRSG members :- Golden eagle - Jeff Watson; White-tailed sea eagle - Justin Grant & John Love. |
 Author(s): John Calladine, Graeme Garner, Chris Werham & Nigel Buxton Published by: BTO - Bird Study Vol 57 Part 1 pp89-99, 25th February 2010 ISBN: 00 Price: £0 Availability: by subscription from www.bto.org Summary: This study was conducted in three areas of Scotland during the 2006 and 2007 breeding seasons. The interpretation of field surveys of breeding Short-eared Owls should take into account the effect of season and time of day on the likelihood of detection. Surveys may only be able to reliably identify pairs that successfully reach the chick-rearing stage and, therefore, the most robust survey/monitoring unit may be pairs that successfully hatch young. Distances at which owls could be reliably detected suggest that a survey of any defined area will require vantage points separated by a minimum distance of about 1.5. km with the allowance for topography and a 180 degree field of view. Evidence of a disturbance or deterrence effect of field surveyers on the owls supports the need for unobtrusive survey methods. |