Abstract
Human-induced direct mortality affects huge numbers of birds each year, threatening hundreds of species worldwide. Tracking technologies can be an important tool to investigate temporal and spatial patterns of bird mortality as well as their drivers. We compiled 1704 mortality records from tracking studies across the African-Eurasian flyway for 45 species, including raptors, storks, and cranes, covering the period from 2003 to 2021. Our results show a higher frequency of human-induced causes of mortality than natural causes across taxonomic groups, geographical areas, and age classes. Moreover, we found that the frequency of human-induced mortality remained stable over the study period. From the human-induced mortality events with a known cause (n = 637), three main causes were identified: electrocution (40.5 %), illegal killing (21.7 %), and poisoning (16.3 %). Additionally, combined energy infrastructure-related mortality (i.e., electrocution, power line collision, and wind-farm collision) represented 49 % of all human-induced mortality events. Using a random forest model, the main predictors of human-induced mortality were found to be taxonomic group, geographic location (latitude and longitude), and human footprint index value at the location of mortality. Despite conservation efforts, human drivers of bird mortality in the African-Eurasian flyway do not appear to have declined over the last 15 years for the studied group of species. Results suggest that stronger conservation actions to address these threats across the flyway can reduce their impacts on species. In particular, projected future development of energy infrastructure is a representative example where application of planning, operation, and mitigation measures can enhance bird conservation.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Article number | 110525 |
Journal | Biological Conservation |
Volume | 293 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - May 1 2024 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Bird conservation
- Energy infrastructure
- Illegal killing
- Mortality
- Poisoning
- Renewable energy
- Tracking technologies
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Nature and Landscape Conservation
Access to Document
Other files and links
Cite this
- APA
- Standard
- Harvard
- Vancouver
- Author
- BIBTEX
- RIS
In: Biological Conservation, Vol. 293, 110525, 01.05.2024.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Tracking data highlight the importance of human-induced mortality for large migratory birds at a flyway scale
AU - Serratosa, Juan
AU - Oppel, Steffen
AU - Rotics, Shay
AU - Santangeli, Andrea
AU - Butchart, Stuart H.M.
AU - Cano-Alonso, Luis S.
AU - Tellería, Jose Luis
AU - Kemp, Ryno
AU - Nicholas, Aaron
AU - Kalvāns, Aigars
AU - Galarza, Aitor
AU - Franco, Aldina M.A.
AU - Andreotti, Alessandro
AU - Kirschel, Alexander N.G.
AU - Ngari, Alex
AU - Soutullo, Alvaro
AU - Bermejo-Bermejo, Ana
AU - Botha, Andre J.
AU - Ferri, Andrea
AU - Evangelidis, Angelos
AU - Cenerini, Anna
AU - Stamenov, Anton
AU - Hernández-Matías, Antonio
AU - Aradis, Arianna
AU - Grozdanov, Atanas P.
AU - Rodríguez, Beneharo
AU - Şekercioğlu, Çağan H.
AU - Cerecedo-Iglesias, Catuxa
AU - Kassara, Christina
AU - Barboutis, Christos
AU - Bracebridge, Claire
AU - García-Ripollés, Clara
AU - Kendall, Corinne J.
AU - Denac, Damijan
AU - Schabo, Dana G.
AU - Barber, David R.
AU - Popov, Dimitar V.
AU - Dobrev, Dobromir D.
AU - Mallia, Egidio
AU - Kmetova-Biro, Elena
AU - Álvarez, Ernesto
AU - Buechley, Evan R.
AU - Bragin, Evgeny A.
AU - Cordischi, Fabrizio
AU - Zengeya, Fadzai M.
AU - Monti, Flavio
AU - Mougeot, Francois
AU - Tate, Gareth
AU - Stoyanov, Georgi
AU - Dell'Omo, Giacomo
AU - Lucia, Giuseppe
AU - Gradev, Gradimir
AU - Ceccolini, Guido
AU - Friedemann, Guilad
AU - Bauer, Hans Günther
AU - Kolberg, Holger
AU - Peshev, Hristo
AU - Catry, Inês
AU - Øien, Ingar J.
AU - Alanís, Isidoro Carbonell
AU - Literák, Ivan
AU - Pokrovsky, Ivan
AU - Ojaste, Ivar
AU - Østnes, Jan E.
AU - de la Puente, Javier
AU - Real, Joan
AU - Guilherme, João L.
AU - González, José C.
AU - Fernández-García, José M.
AU - Gil, Juan Antonio
AU - Terraube, Julien
AU - Poprach, Karel
AU - Aghababyan, Karen
AU - Klein, Katharina
AU - Bildstein, Keith L.
AU - Wolter, Kerri
AU - Janssens, Kjell
AU - Kittelberger, Kyle D.
AU - Thompson, Lindy J.
AU - AlJahdhami, Mansoor H.
AU - Galán, Manuel
AU - Tobolka, Marcin
AU - Posillico, Mario
AU - Cipollone, Mario
AU - Gschweng, Marion
AU - Strazds, Māris
AU - Boorman, Mark
AU - Zvidzai, Mark
AU - Acácio, Marta
AU - Romero, Marta
AU - Wikelski, Martin
AU - Schmidt, Matthias
AU - Sarà, Maurizio
AU - McGrady, Michael J.
AU - Dagys, Mindaugas
AU - Mackenzie, Monique L.
AU - Al Taq, Muna
AU - Mgumba, Msafiri P.
AU - Virani, Munir Z.
AU - Kassinis, Nicolaos I.
AU - Borgianni, Nicolò
AU - Thie, Nikki
AU - Tsiopelas, Nikos
AU - Anglister, Nili
AU - Farwig, Nina
AU - Sapir, Nir
AU - Kleven, Oddmund
AU - Krone, Oliver
AU - Duriez, Olivier
AU - Spiegel, Orr
AU - Al Nouri, Osama
AU - López-López, Pascual
AU - Byholm, Patrik
AU - Kamath, Pauline L.
AU - Mirski, Paweł
AU - Palatitz, Peter
AU - Serroni, Pietro
AU - Raab, Rainer
AU - Buij, Ralph
AU - Žydelis, Ramūnas
AU - Nathan, Ran
AU - Bowie, Rauri C.K.
AU - Tsiakiris, Rigas
AU - Hatfield, Richard Stratton
AU - Harel, Roi
AU - Kroglund, Rolf T.
AU - Efrat, Ron
AU - Limiñana, Ruben
AU - Javed, Salim
AU - Marinković, Saša P.
AU - Rösner, Sascha
AU - Pekarsky, Sasha
AU - Kapila, Shiv R.
AU - Marin, Simeon A.
AU - Krejčí, Šimon
AU - Giokas, Sinos
AU - Tumanyan, Siranush
AU - Turjeman, Sondra
AU - Krüger, Sonja C.
AU - Ewing, Steven R.
AU - Stoychev, Stoycho
AU - Nikolov, Stoyan C.
AU - Qaneer, Tareq E.
AU - Spatz, Theresa
AU - Hadjikyriakou, Thomas G.
AU - Mueller, Thomas
AU - Katzner, Todd E.
AU - Aarvak, Tomas
AU - Veselovský, Tomáš
AU - Nygård, Torgeir
AU - Mellone, Ugo
AU - Väli, Ülo
AU - Sellis, Urmas
AU - Urios, Vicente
AU - Nemček, Vladimír
AU - Arkumarev, Volen
AU - Getz, Wayne M.
AU - Fiedler, Wolfgang
AU - Van den Bossche, Willem
AU - Lehnardt, Yael
AU - Jones, Victoria R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The US Geological Survey, The Author(s)
PY - 2024/5/1
Y1 - 2024/5/1
N2 - Human-induced direct mortality affects huge numbers of birds each year, threatening hundreds of species worldwide. Tracking technologies can be an important tool to investigate temporal and spatial patterns of bird mortality as well as their drivers. We compiled 1704 mortality records from tracking studies across the African-Eurasian flyway for 45 species, including raptors, storks, and cranes, covering the period from 2003 to 2021. Our results show a higher frequency of human-induced causes of mortality than natural causes across taxonomic groups, geographical areas, and age classes. Moreover, we found that the frequency of human-induced mortality remained stable over the study period. From the human-induced mortality events with a known cause (n = 637), three main causes were identified: electrocution (40.5 %), illegal killing (21.7 %), and poisoning (16.3 %). Additionally, combined energy infrastructure-related mortality (i.e., electrocution, power line collision, and wind-farm collision) represented 49 % of all human-induced mortality events. Using a random forest model, the main predictors of human-induced mortality were found to be taxonomic group, geographic location (latitude and longitude), and human footprint index value at the location of mortality. Despite conservation efforts, human drivers of bird mortality in the African-Eurasian flyway do not appear to have declined over the last 15 years for the studied group of species. Results suggest that stronger conservation actions to address these threats across the flyway can reduce their impacts on species. In particular, projected future development of energy infrastructure is a representative example where application of planning, operation, and mitigation measures can enhance bird conservation.
AB - Human-induced direct mortality affects huge numbers of birds each year, threatening hundreds of species worldwide. Tracking technologies can be an important tool to investigate temporal and spatial patterns of bird mortality as well as their drivers. We compiled 1704 mortality records from tracking studies across the African-Eurasian flyway for 45 species, including raptors, storks, and cranes, covering the period from 2003 to 2021. Our results show a higher frequency of human-induced causes of mortality than natural causes across taxonomic groups, geographical areas, and age classes. Moreover, we found that the frequency of human-induced mortality remained stable over the study period. From the human-induced mortality events with a known cause (n = 637), three main causes were identified: electrocution (40.5 %), illegal killing (21.7 %), and poisoning (16.3 %). Additionally, combined energy infrastructure-related mortality (i.e., electrocution, power line collision, and wind-farm collision) represented 49 % of all human-induced mortality events. Using a random forest model, the main predictors of human-induced mortality were found to be taxonomic group, geographic location (latitude and longitude), and human footprint index value at the location of mortality. Despite conservation efforts, human drivers of bird mortality in the African-Eurasian flyway do not appear to have declined over the last 15 years for the studied group of species. Results suggest that stronger conservation actions to address these threats across the flyway can reduce their impacts on species. In particular, projected future development of energy infrastructure is a representative example where application of planning, operation, and mitigation measures can enhance bird conservation.
KW - Bird conservation
KW - Energy infrastructure
KW - Illegal killing
KW - Mortality
KW - Poisoning
KW - Renewable energy
KW - Tracking technologies
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85189815544&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85189815544&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110525
DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110525
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85189815544
SN - 0006-3207
VL - 293
JO - Biological Conservation
JF - Biological Conservation
M1 - 110525
ER -