Capsule: The movements and spatial ecology of non-breeding Eurasian Griffon Vultures Gyps fulvus in northern Italy, Croatia and Austria do not seem to be affected by feeding station use. Aims: The purpose of this study was to assess how the creation of a feeding station at the Riserva Naturale Regionale del Lago di Cornino (Forgaria nel Friuli, northeast Italy) during the 1980s might have affected the spatial and behavioural ecology of the Eurasian Griffon Vulture. Methods: Using global positioning system (GPS) satellite tracking, we studied movements of nine non-breeding Eurasian Griffon Vultures within the Riserva Naturale Regionale del Lago di Cornino in Italy, the Hohe Tauern in Austria and the Kvarner Gulf in Croatia. Results: Both the average foraging range size and the time spent by the birds in Italy were comparable to those recorded in Croatia and Austria, where the vultures depend on unpredictable food resources. A significant difference in terms of foraging range size was recorded among seasons. In winter it seems to be smaller as a consequence of reduced movements performed by the individuals due to harsh climate conditions. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the creation of a feeding station in Forgaria does not seem to have affected the spatial ecology of the Eurasian Griffon Vulture. However, due to the limited sample size and the young age of the individuals monitored, which have a long dispersal period, the findings presented should be considered as preliminary. Further research needs to be implemented to inform decisions regarding the management of supplementary feeding stations to promote the recovery and conservation of scavenger species, particularly in areas in which they have declined massively.

The quantification of glucocorticoid metabolites in hair is a non-invasive tool that provides important information regarding the endocrine status and represents a valuable method for studying potential stressors that may affect carnivores under both natural and non-natural conditions. Cortisol is the main glucocorticoid hormone of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal gland axis and is considered a standard stress indicator for animal welfare. The current study aimed to compare cortisol levels extracted from hair of both dead, frozen European wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris) and living feral individuals (Felis silvestris catus) living in different environmental conditions. The results obtained revealed that wild individuals exhibited a significantly (p < 0.001) higher cortisol concentration (n = 15, mean ± sd = 8.91 ± 4.48 pg/mg) than feral ones (n = 10, mean ± sd = 3.57 ± 1.25 pg/mg), probably as a result of both the physiological and/or environmental factors to which each subspecies was subject. This is the first study in which cortisol concentrations have been compared within the Felis silvestris subspecies, thus enriching the scarce information available for the Felidae. Nevertheless, further research is needed to better understand the various physiological and ecological factors affecting the adrenocortical activity of species or populations living in different environmental contexts.