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): Peter Cairns & Mark Hamblin Published by: Whittles Publishing, 19th October 2008 ISBN: 978-1904445-46-3 Price: £20 Availability: To receive a personally signed copy of Tooth & Claw for £20 (RRP £25) complete an order form online at www.toothandclaw.org.uk or Tel. 01540 651352. Quote Ref. T&C01 Summary: Against a backdrop of stunning imagery Tooth & Claw reveals how we really feel about Britain’s predators and intriguingly, why? This beautiful and thought-provoking book by two of Britain’s foremost nature photographers will be of huge appeal to everyone with an interest in predators, wild places and the natural world. So how do we really feel about Britain’s predators and how are those feelings influenced by culture, myth and economics? These are some of the questions that Tooth & Claw set out to answer. The authors have spoken with farmers, field sports enthusiasts, researchers, biologists and tourism operators – in fact anyone with an interest in the countryside. |
 Author(s): Palvi Salo, Mikael Nordstrom, Robert L. Thomson & Erkki Korpimaki Published by: Journal of Animal Ecology 77, 1092-1098, 17th October 2008 ISBN: 00 Price: £0 Availability: by subscription Summary: The authors studied the predation-risk impacts of re-colonizing White-tailed Eagles and American Mink in south-west Finland during 2004 & 2005. Mink were radiocollared in two study areas where there were many islands. With the increased Sea eagle predation risk Mink reduced their swimming distances. The results suggest that female mink modify their behaviour according to eagle predation risk, which may reduce their population growth and have long term cascading effects on lower trophic levels including, bird, mammal and amphibian populations in the area of study. |
 Author(s): Roy Dennis Published by: Whittles Publishing, 15th September 2008 ISBN: 978-1904445-26-5 Price: £18.99 Availability: General bookshops, specialist distributors and via the author at www.roydennis.org Summary: The Life of Ospreys tells the story of not only the osprey, but of the osprey watcher, following the bird's fortunes in Scotland and seeing its numbers rise from a single pair in the 1950s to close to 200 pairs to-day. It traces the osprey's history in Scotland and throughout the UK. |
 Author(s): Tim Melling, Steve Dudley & Paul Doherty Published by: British Birds Vol 101 pp478-490, 08th September 2008 ISBN: 00 Price: £0 Availability: By subscription from www.britishbirds.co.uk Summary: Interest in the Eagle Owl has increased during the past decade, particularly in relation to two well-known breeding pairs in northern England. An increase in the numbers being reported has led to calls for the species to be re-admitted to the British list. This paper examines BOURC's previous reviews, the historical status of Eagle Owl in captivity, and other data relating to the species, in order to assess the likelihood of natural vagrancy. The BOU must have a very strong case for adding a species to the British list, and the paper concludes that the current known records do not meet any of the required criteria. |
 Author(s): Edited by Brian Etheridge, Mark Holling, Helen Riley, Chris Werham and Des Thompson Published by: Scottish Ornithologists Club, 06th September 2008 ISBN: ISSN 0036 9144 Price: £0 Availability: available online as a pdf on the SRMS page of this website - a printed copy is sent to all SOC members. Summary: The 2006 report records the efforts of the ten area Scottish Raptor Groups with additional results from RSPB, SNH, the Rare Breeding Birds Panel and Natural Research Ltd. A total of 4006 home ranges of raptors were made and some 2525 breeding attempts were effectively monitored, representing a 10% increase on 2005. |
 Author(s): Simon Thirgood and Steve Redpath Published by: Journal of Applied Ecology, 30th August 2008 ISBN: Price: £0 Availability: by subscription from British Ecological Society Summary: According to the writers human-wildlife conflict is an emerging issue in global conservation and its mitigation, requires ecological research, social research, and dialogue between scientists, stakeholders and policy makers to guide management. The writers focus on the work at Langholm and suggest that despite scientific advances, mitigation of this conflict has been slow. This is a thought provoking paper, perhaps undermined by the associated press release which concentrated exclusively on ceilings on Hen Harrier numbers breeding on grouse moors, and released on August 12th!. |
 Author(s): Arjur Amar, Simon Thirgood, James Pierce-Higgins and Steve Redpath Published by: OIKOS, 08th August 2008 ISBN: 00 Price: £0 Availability: Wiley Interscience Publications - full abstract available online at http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121372564/abstract Summary: This paper analysed the abundance of 5 wader and passerine species on an upland sporting estate in Scotland where the raptor population expanded in the absence of persecution. Although Meadow Pipit and Skylark declined, Curlew and Lapwing numbers increased and in general terms no evidence was found to suggest that raptor predation limited the populations of any of the three wader species. The researchers infer that concerns over the impact of natural densities of hen harriers on vulnerable upland waders are unjustified. |
 Author(s): Jeff Martin Published by: Whittet Books, 04th August 2008 ISBN: 13:9781873580752 Price: £15.99 Availability: Specialist bookshops and via the internet Summary: This monograph traces the history of Barn Owls in Britain and examines the causes of their recent decline. There is discussion on how this decline has occurred and the book explores the various aspects of Barn Owl biology. |
 Author(s): Whitfield,DP., Fielding, AH., McLeod, DRA. and Haworth, PF. Published by: Scottish Natural Heritage, 04th July 2008 ISBN: 00 Price: £0 Availability: electronically from http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/commissioned_reports/Report%20No193.pdf or from Gordon Simpson, SNH, Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness IV3 8NW Summary: This is an SNH commissioned report No. 193 and the full title is 'A Conservation framework for golden eagles: implications for their conservation and management in Scotland' (ROAME No. F05AC306). The full report runs to 150 pages and members of Scottish Raptor Study Groups have been made a significant contribution to the research. The main finding of the report confirms that some parts of Scotland no longer have viable populations of native golden eagles despite having the ideal habitat conditions for the species to thrive. This is the first of a series of commissioned research papers on birds of prey in Scotland which also includes Peregrine Falcon and Hen Harrier. |
 Author(s): W.T.S.Miles & S.Money Published by: Scottish Birds 28 pp11-18, 01st July 2008 ISBN: Price: £0 Availability: By subscription from the Scottish Ornithologist's Club - www.the-soc.org.uk Summary: This is a report on numbers of individual Snowy Owls, their behaviour and diet on Hirta, St Kilda between May and early August, 2007. Five different individuals were identified, a higher number than usual. Territorial, courtship or nesting behaviour was not observed. Prey species recorded in the diet were few, the most commonly found species being the endemic St Kilda fieldmouse and adult Puffins. |