Spring Migration of Eurasian Griffon Vultures Across the Strait of Gibraltar: Number, Timing and Age Composition

Ramírez, Juan José Sánchez; Langarica, Francisco Ma Zufiaur González De; Molina, Marina Guerrero

doi:10.13157/arla.66.1.2019.sc5

Cited by 13 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Besides mosquitoes are considered the main vectors of WNV, it has occasionally been isolated from other hematophagous arthropods, namely argasid and amblyommine ticks, [78]. Like other soaring bird species, griffon vultures perform longscale movements [87,89]and are considered a partial migratory species, with juveniles (especially in the first year of live) crossing the Strait of Gibraltar to Africa during fall and returning to Europe in the following years [90].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In spite of some ticks (soft ticks) can be considered resident and sedentary [92], that does not mean they have a limited role in the circulation of infectious agents. Pathogens transmitted by these ticks can be spread into new areas taking advantage of the large foraging movements or migration of its hosts, namely griffon vultures [87,89,90]. Although ticks can be alternative vectors, a recent study in the Pyrenees (Northeastern Spain), flavivirus was detected in all seven vulture's blood samples by the generic qRT-PCR, but all analyzed ticks were negative for flavivirus detection, which reinforces the potential involvement of other more common arthropod vectors, like mosquitoes, in the transmission of the virus [93,94].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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West Nile Virus in vultures from Europe

Loureiro,

Cardoso,

Matos

et al. 2023

Preprint

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West Nile virus (WNV) is an arbovirus mainly transmitted by Culex spp., which causes a worldwide zoonotic disease. This pathogen is endemically maintained in a life cycle with birds acting as reservoirs and humans and horses as accidental and dead-end hosts. Sporadic WNV outbreaks have been reported in Europe and the potential impact of WNV infection on populations of threatened or endangered birds of prey is considerable. Surveillance programs are needed for early detection of this virus. All four species of vultures present in Europe are considered protected species. As scavengers, vultures are at the top of the food chain, and can be susceptible to and negatively affected by pathogens like WNV. In a conservation perspective, the impact of WNV in European vultures, alone or concomitantly with other factors, should be addressed. This review of documented cases can be considered a state point.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

West Nile Virus in vultures from Europe

Loureiro,

Cardoso,

Matos

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…The most recent national census in Spain recorded 30,946 and 2,400 breeding pairs of griffon and cinereous vultures, respectively (Del Moral, 2017;Del Moral & Molina, 2018), and 33,217 breeding pairs of white storks (Molina & Del Moral, 2005). Spain is also an important wintering area and part of a major migratory pathway for griffon vultures and storks from Western European populations (Bécares et al, 2019;Ramírez et al, 2019). In all, we compiled information on the movements of 210 GPS-tagged birds (Figure 1) involving 92 griffon vultures tagged in Spain, 15 cinereous vultures tagged in Spain and Portugal, and 103 white storks tagged in Spain and Germany.…”

Section: Bird Tracking and Modelling Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of avian GPS tracking to mitigate human fatalities from bird strikes caused by large soaring birds

Arrondo

García‐Alfonso

Blas

et al. 2021

Journal of Applied Ecology

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1. Birds striking aircrafts cause substantial economic loss world-wide and, more worryingly, human and wildlife fatalities. Designing effective measures to mitigate fatal bird strikes requires an in-depth knowledge of the characteristics of this incident type and the flight behaviours of the bird species involved.2. The characteristics of bird strikes involving aircraft crashes or loss of human life in Spain were studied and compared to flight patterns of birds monitored by GPS.We tracked 210 individuals of the three species that cause the most crashes and human fatalities in Spain: griffon and cinereous vultures Gyps fulvus and Aegypius monachus and white storks Ciconia ciconia.3. All the crashes involved general aviation aircrafts, while none were recorded in commercial aviation. Most occurred outside airport boundaries, at midday, and in the warmest months, which all correspond with the maximum flight activity of the studied species. 4. Bird flight altitudes overlapped the legal flight altitude limit set for general aviation. 5. Policy implications. Mitigation of fatal bird strikes should especially address the conflict between general aviation and large soaring birds. Air transportation authorities should consider modifying the flight ceiling for general aviation flights above the studied species' maximum flight altitude. Moreover, policymakers should issue pilots with recommendations regarding the dates and times of peak activity of large soaring bird species to improve flight safety.

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