| coprophagy: an unusual source of essential carotenoids. | the rare egyptian vulture (neophron percnopterus) stands out among the old world vultures (family accipitridae) because of its brightly ornamented head, which is coloured yellow by carotenoid pigments, and its practice of feeding on faeces. here we show that egyptian vultures obtain these pigments from the excrement of ungulates. to our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that faeces can be used as a source of carotenoids by a vertebrate. | 2002 | 11976670 |
| the nasal organs of the black and turkey vultures; a comparative study of the cathartid species coragyps atratus atratus and cathartes aura septentrionalis (with notes on cathartes aura falklandica, pseudogyps bengalensis, and neophron percnopterus). | | 1964 | 14214404 |
| plasma b-esterase activities in european raptors. | b-esterases are serine hydrolases composed of cholinesterases, including acetylcholinesterase (ache) and butyrylcholinesterase (bche), and carboxylesterase (cbe). these esterases, found in blood plasma, are inhibited by organophosphorus (op) and carbamate (cb) insecticides and can be used as nondestructive biomarkers of exposure to anticholinesterase insecticides. furthermore, b-esterases are involved in detoxification of these insecticides. in order to establish the level of these enzymes and t ... | 2005 | 15827224 |
| geographical variation in cloacal microflora and bacterial antibiotic resistance in a threatened avian scavenger in relation to diet and livestock farming practices. | the impact on wildlife health of the increase in the use of antimicrobial agents with the intensification of livestock production remains unknown. the composition, richness and prevalence of cloacal microflora as well as bacterial resistance to antibiotics in nestlings and full-grown egyptian vultures neophron percnopterus were assessed in four areas of spain in which the degree of farming intensification differs. differences in diet composition, especially the role of stabled livestock carrion, ... | 2007 | 17564607 |
| long-term effects of lead poisoning on bone mineralization in vultures exposed to ammunition sources. | long-lived species are particularly susceptible to bioaccumulation of lead in bone tissues. in this paper we gain insights into the sublethal effects of lead contamination on egyptian vultures (neophron percnopterus). our approach was done on the comparison of two populations (canary islands and iberian peninsula) differing in exposures to the ingestion of lead ammunition. blood lead levels were higher in the island population (canary islands range: 5.10-1780 microg l(-1) n=137; iberian peninsul ... | 2009 | 18995938 |
| susceptibility to infection and immune response in insular and continental populations of egyptian vulture: implications for conservation. | a generalized decline in populations of old world avian scavengers is occurring on a global scale. the main cause of the observed crisis in continental populations of these birds should be looked for in the interaction between two factors -- changes in livestock management, including the increased use of pharmaceutical products, and disease. insular vertebrates seem to be especially susceptible to diseases induced by the arrival of exotic pathogens, a process often favored by human activities, a ... | 2009 | 19623256 |
| diclofenac residues in blood plasma and tissues of vultures collected from ahmedabad, india. | the study reports residues of diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti inflammatory drug, in tissues of 11 white-backed vulture, gyps bengalensis collected between 2005 and 2007 and blood plasma of 12 white-backed vulture, four egyptian vulture, neophron percnopterus and two griffon vulture, gyps fulvus collected during 2005. samples were analysed using high performance liquid chromatograhy (hplc) equipped with uv detector. one of the white-backed vultures collected during 2005 had substantial urate dep ... | 2010 | 20865242 |
| microsatellite based ovine parentage testing to identify the source responsible for the killing of an endangered species. | in this study, we present an animal forensic genetics case in which we applied ovine microsatellite based parentage testing to the resolution of an act against protected wildlife. the aim was to identify the origin of the animal responsible for the death of an egyptian vulture (neophron percnopterus) that had been poisoned through consumption of a latxa blond face breed lamb. thus, we carried out a 22 microsatellite based parentage test in order to identify the parents of the lamb in the flock w ... | 2010 | 20952265 |
| serosurvey of west nile virus and other flaviviruses of the japanese encephalitis antigenic complex in birds from andalusia, southern spain. | abstract flaviviruses of the japanese encephalitis virus (jev) antigenic complex, including west nile virus (wnv), are recognized as emerging and reemerging pathogens. circulation of flaviviruses has been recently detected in different mosquito and vertebrate species in several european countries. a serosurvey study was carried out to evaluate the circulation of wnv and other flaviviruses of the jev antigenic complex in different wild bird species in spain between 2006 and 2009. seropositiviy ag ... | 2010 | 21142954 |
| the role of humans in the diversification of a threatened island raptor. | anthropogenic habitat modifications have led to the extinction of many species and have favoured the expansion of others. nonetheless, the possible role of humans as a diversifying force in vertebrate evolution has rarely been considered, especially for species with long generation times. we examine the influence that humans have had on the colonization and phenotypic and genetic differentiation of an insular population of a long-lived raptor species, the egyptian vulture (neophron percnopterus) ... | 2010 | 21144015 |
| set a thief to catch a thief: brown-necked raven (corvus ruficollis) cooperatively kleptoparasitize egyptian vulture (neophron percnopterus). | our study describes how brown-necked ravens (corvus ruficollis) are able to take advantage of an ordinarily inaccessible, high-quality food source by relying upon their innovative and manipulative thinking capabilities to exploit methods used by egyptian vulture (neophron percnopterus) to overcome the problem. in five observed interactions, the ravens were first seen in the vicinity of an abandoned clutch of ostrich eggs (struthio camelus). the area was frequented by a pair of egyptian vultures ... | 2011 | 21409436 |
| mycoplasma neophronis sp. nov., isolated from upper respiratory tract of canarian egyptian vulture (neophron percnopterus majorensis). | six strains with the typical characteristics of mycoplasmas were isolated from the tracheae of six canarian egyptian vultures (neophron percnopterus majorensis). the results of biochemical, serological and molecular genetic studies showed that all strains were nearly identical, and that taxonomically they could be considered as a new species within the genus mycoplasma. colonies possessed the typical fried-egg appearance and the electron micrographs revealed a pleomorphic cellular morphology wit ... | 2011 | 21828019 |
| who are we feeding? asymmetric individual use of surplus food resources in an insular population of the endangered egyptian vulture neophron percnopterus. | supplementary feeding stations, or "vulture restaurants", are common conservation management tools. while a number of studies have investigated the consequences of surplus food on the population dynamics of scavengers, relatively little is known about the effects of such practices at the individual level. within the long-term monitored breeding population of canarian egyptian vultures (neophron percnopterus majorensis) we investigated individual bird's patterns of use of a supplementary feeding ... | 2013 | 24244695 |
| genetic characterization of oropharyngeal trichomonad isolates from wild birds indicates that genotype is associated with host species, diet and presence of pathognomonic lesions. | oropharyngeal trichomonad isolates of wild birds from spain were studied. a total of 1688 samples (1214 of predator birds and 474 of prey species) from wildlife recovery centres and scientific bird-ringing campaigns were analysed from 2011 to 2013. the overall infection prevalence was 20.3% (11.4% in predator birds and 43.3% in prey species). pathognomonic lesions were present in 26% of the infected birds (57.3% in predator birds and 4.9% in prey species). the most commonly parasitized species w ... | 2014 | 25262786 |
| trichomonas gypaetinii n. sp., a new trichomonad from the upper gastrointestinal tract of scavenging birds of prey. | in the context of an epidemiological study carried out by several wildlife recovery centers in spain, trichomonads resembling trichomonas gallinae were found in the oropharyngeal cavity of 2 egyptian vultures (neophron percnopterus) and 14 cinereous vultures (aegypius monachus) which did not show any symptoms of trichomonosis. in order to characterize them, these isolates along with seven other t. gallinae isolates obtained from different hosts and from different geographical origin were analyze ... | 2015 | 25273632 |
| lead toxicosis of captive vultures: case description and responses to chelation therapy. | lead, a serious threat for raptors, can hamper the success of their conservation. this study reports on experience with accidental lead intoxication and responses to chelation therapy in captive cinereous (aegypius monachus) and egyptian (neophron percnopterus) vultures. | 2013 | 23324224 |
| cellular and humoral immunodepression in vultures feeding upon medicated livestock carrion. | veterinary pharmaceuticals contained in dead livestock may be ingested by avian scavengers and negatively affect their health and consequently their population dynamics and conservation. we evaluated the potential role of antibiotics as immunodepressors using multiple parameters measuring the condition of the cellular and humoral immune system in griffon (gyps fulvus), cinereous (aegypius monachus) and egyptian vultures (neophron percnopterus). we confirmed the presence of circulating antimicrob ... | 2009 | 19324751 |
| antibiotics threaten wildlife: circulating quinolone residues and disease in avian scavengers. | antibiotic residues that may be present in carcasses of medicated livestock could pass to and greatly reduce scavenger wildlife populations. we surveyed residues of the quinolones enrofloxacin and its metabolite ciprofloxacin and other antibiotics (amoxicillin and oxytetracycline) in nestling griffon gyps fulvus, cinereous aegypius monachus and egyptian neophron percnopterus vultures in central spain. we found high concentrations of antibiotics in the plasma of many nestling cinereous (57%) and ... | 2008 | 18197254 |
| sex determination in 58 bird species and evaluation of chd gene as a universal molecular marker in bird sexing. | the aim of this research was to test the chd gene (chromo helicase dna-binding gene) as a universal molecular marker for sexing birds of relatively distant species. the chd gene corresponds to the aim because of its high degree of conservation and different lengths in z and w chromosomes due to different intron sizes. dna was isolated from feathers and the amplification of the chd gene was performed with the following sets of polymerase chain reaction (pcr) primers: 2550f/2718r and p2/p8. sex de ... | 2015 | 22553188 |
| evaluating the connectivity of a protected areas' network under the prism of global change: the efficiency of the european natura 2000 network for four birds of prey. | climate and land use changes are major threats to biodiversity. to preserve biodiversity, networks of protected areas have been established worldwide, like the natura 2000 network across the european union (eu). currently, this reserve network consists of more than 26000 sites covering more than 17% of eu terrestrial territory. its efficiency to mitigate the detrimental effects of land use and climate change remains an open research question. here, we examined the potential current and future ge ... | 2013 | 23527237 |
| net effects of ecotourism on threatened species survival. | many threatened species rely on ecotourism for conservation funding, but simultaneously suffer direct ecological impacts from ecotourism. for a range of iucn-redlisted terrestrial and marine bird and mammal species worldwide, we use population viability analyses to calculate the net effects of ecotourism on expected time to extinction, in the presence of other anthropogenic threats such as poaching, primary industries and habitat loss. species for which these calculations are currently possible, ... | 2016 | 26886876 |
| multidrug-resistant salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium monophasic variant 4,12:i:- isolated from asymptomatic wildlife in a catalonian wildlife rehabilitation center, spain. | wildlife can act as long-term asymptomatic reservoirs for zoonotic bacteria, such as salmonella. the prevalence and antimicrobial-susceptibility profiles of salmonella spp. were assessed in 263 cases in wildlife from 22 animal orders from a wildlife rehabilitation center in catalonia (ne spain), september 2013-may 2014. eleven of 263 tested animals were positive for salmonella spp., representing an overall prevalence of 4.2%. prevalences by taxonomic categories were 2% in mammals, 4.7% in birds, ... | 2015 | 25973627 |
| oral mycoses in avian scavengers exposed to antibiotics from livestock farming. | the exposure to antimicrobial pharmaceuticals as environmental contaminants can exert direct and indirect detrimental effects on health of wildlife. fungal infections pose a major threat to domestic, captive-housed wild and free-ranging wild animals worldwide. however, little is known about their role in disease in birds in the wild. here, we evaluated the incidence of thrush-like lesions in the oral cavity of wild nestling cinereous vultures (aegypius monachus), griffon vultures (gyps fulvus), ... | 2017 | 28662427 |
| distribution of persistent organochlorine chemical residues in blood plasma of three species of vultures from india. | the presence of persistent organochlorine pesticides (ocps) and polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) were determined in blood plasma of white-backed vulture gyps bengalensis, egyptian vulture neophron percnopterus, and griffon vulture gyps fulvus collected from ahmedabad, india. all the samples had varying levels of organochlorine pesticides and pcbs. statistically significant (p<0.05) differences among species were detected for beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-hch), ∑hch, and dichloro-diphenyl-trichlo ... | 2011 | 20221793 |
| allozyme variation in four populations of african whitebacked vultures (gyps africanus) and phylogenetic relationships between four vulture species from southern africa. | genetic variation detected by protein electrophoresis at 41 presumptive gene loci was assayed in four populations of gyps africanus and compared to values previously obtained for gyps coprotheres. values calculated for percentage of polymorphic loci (p=34.15%, 0.99 criterion) and average heterozygosity (&hmacr;=0.108, +/-0.032) in g. africanus, confirm low levels of genetic variation as reported for g. coprotheres. allele frequency data, assessed at 19 loci, were obtained to evaluate genetic dif ... | 2001 | 11274771 |
| sex determination in the wild: a field application of loop-mediated isothermal amplification successfully determines sex across three raptor species. | pcr-based methods are the most common technique for sex determination of birds. although these methods are fast, easy and accurate, they still require special facilities that preclude their application outdoors. consequently, there is a time lag between sampling and obtaining results that impedes researchers to take decisions in situ and in real time considering individuals' sex. we present an outdoor technique for sex determination of birds based on the amplification of the duplicated sex-chrom ... | 2017 | 27235333 |
| modeling the consequences of the demise and potential recovery of a keystone-species: wild rabbits and avian scavengers in mediterranean landscapes. | restoration of demised keystone-species populations is an overriding concern in conservation biology. however, since no population is independent of its environment, progress is needed in predicting the efficacy of restoration in unstable ecological contexts. here, by means of population dynamics p-system models (pdp), we studied long-term changes in the population size of egyptian vultures (neophron percnopterus) inhabiting a natural park, northern spain, to changes in the numbers of wild rabbi ... | 2015 | 26593338 |
| vigilance poison: illegal poisoning and lead intoxication are the main factors affecting avian scavenger survival in the pyrenees (france). | a specific surveillance program has been set up to monitor avian scavenger populations in the french pyrenean mountains, hosting a high proportion of the french populations. the two main purposes of the study were to identify all causes of death and to investigate poisoning cases. all 170 birds found dead during the 7-year program were submitted to full necropsy, x-ray, parasitological investigations and consistent analytical toxicology screenings (cholinesterase inhibitors, anticoagulant rodent ... | 2015 | 25913360 |
| assessing species habitat using google street view: a case study of cliff-nesting vultures. | the assessment of a species' habitat is a crucial issue in ecology and conservation. while the collection of habitat data has been boosted by the availability of remote sensing technologies, certain habitat types have yet to be collected through costly, on-ground surveys, limiting study over large areas. cliffs are ecosystems that provide habitat for a rich biodiversity, especially raptors. because of their principally vertical structure, however, cliffs are not easy to study by remote sensing t ... | 2013 | 23355880 |
| age-dependent survival of island vs. mainland populations of two avian scavengers: delving into migration costs. | large terrestrial long-lived birds (including raptors) are typically sedentary on islands, even when they are migratory on the mainland. density-dependent variation in the age at first breeding has been described as responsible for the long-term persistence of long-lived bird populations on islands. however, sedentary island populations may also benefit from higher survival rates derived from the absence of migration costs, especially for young individuals. thus, sedentary island populations can ... | 2015 | 26013875 |
| cosmetic coloration in egyptian vultures: mud bathing as a tool for social communication? | | 2017 | 28481410 |
| vultures from different trophic guilds show distinct oral pathogenic yeast signatures and co-occurrence networks. | vultures have evolved adaptive mechanisms to prevent infections associated with their scavenging lifestyle. however, food-borne exposure to antimicrobial pharmaceuticals can promote opportunistic infections with adverse outcomes. here, we used multivariate and network analyses to increase understanding of the behavior of the yeast communities causing oral mycosis outbreaks recently reported in wild nestling cinereous (aegypius monachus), griffon (gyps fulvus) and egyptian (neophron percnopterus) ... | 2020 | 32224410 |
| vulture mortality resulting from illegal poisoning in the southern balkan peninsula. | a study was carried out to determine the incidents of illegal poisoning of griffon vulture (gyps fulvus), egyptian vulture (neophron percnopterus), black vulture (aegypius monachus), and bearded vulture (gypaetus barbatus) in the southern balkan peninsula between 1982 and 2017. a total of 38 poisoning cases affecting 224 vultures were analyzed to identify their causes and the primary target species for poisoning. nine different compounds were used in these incidents and the most frequently appli ... | 2018 | 29101695 |
| winter movement patterns of a globally endangered avian scavenger in south-western europe. | partial migration, whereby some individuals migrate and some do not, is relatively common and widespread among animals. switching between migration tactics (from migratory to resident or vice versa) occurs at individual and population levels. here, we describe for the first time the movement ecology of the largest wintering population of egyptian vultures (neophron percnopterus) in south-west europe. we combined field surveys and gps tracking data from december to february during four wintering ... | 2020 | 33077857 |
| intensive farming as a source of bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents in sedentary and migratory vultures: implications for local and transboundary spread. | the role of wild birds in the carriage and transmission of human and food animal bacteria with resistant genotypes has repeatedly been highlighted. however, few studies have focussed on the specific exposure sources and places of acquisition and selection for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in vultures relying on livestock carcasses across large areas and different continents. the occurrence of bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents was assessed in the faecal microbiota of sedentary griff ... | 2020 | 32758969 |
| nsaids detected in iberian avian scavengers and carrion after diclofenac registration for veterinary use in spain. | despite the now well recognised impact of diclofenac on vultures across the indian subcontinent, this non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (nsaid) was registered in 2013 for livestock treatment in spain, europe's main vulture stronghold. we assessed the risk of exposure to diclofenac and nine other nsaids in avian scavengers in the iberian peninsula (spain and portugal) after the onset of diclofenac commercialization. we sampled 228 livestock carcasses from vulture feeding sites, primarily pig ( ... | 2020 | 32673993 |
| too much is bad: increasing numbers of livestock and conspecifics reduce body mass in an avian scavenger. | individual traits such as body mass can serve as early warning signals of changes in the fitness prospects of animal populations facing environmental impacts. here, taking advantage of a 19-yr monitoring, we assessed how individual, population, and environmental factors modulate long-term changes in the body mass of canarian egyptian vultures. individual vulture body mass increased when primary productivity was highly variable, but decreased in years with a high abundance of livestock. we hypoth ... | 2020 | 32167643 |
| evolutionary history of new and old world vultures inferred from nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. | the phylogeny of 11 species of old world vultures (aves: accipitriformes, aegypiinae), three species of new world vultures (cathartidae) and theri nearest relatives within and outside the order accipitriformes was investigated based on 1026 nucleotides of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. the data support the contention that new world vultures are not birds of prey, but phylogenetic information was insufficient to identify whether they are closer to storks (ciconiidae) or to accipitriformes. ... | 1995 | 8577858 |
| tourism in protected areas: disentangling road and traffic effects on intra-guild scavenging processes. | the expansion of road networks and the increase in traffic have emerged in recent years as key threats to the conservation of biodiversity. this is particularly concerning in many protected areas because the increase of recreational activities requiring the use of vehicles. effects of roads and traffic within guild scenarios and ecological processes remain however poorly known. here we examined how road proximity and traffic intensity influence patterns of resource use in an old-world avian scav ... | 2018 | 29494969 |
| supplementary feeding as a source of multiresistant salmonella in endangered egyptian vultures. | wild birds have repeatedly been highlighted as vectors in the dissemination of livestock and human pathogens. here, the occurrence, serotypes and antimicrobial resistance of salmonella were assessed in adult egyptian vultures (neophron percnopterus), to test the hypothesis that infection is associated with the consumption of swine carcasses provided at supplementary feeding stations (sfss). faeces of year-round resident griffon vultures (gyps fulvus) were also tested to assess whether infection ... | 2018 | 29333678 |
| organization and variation of the mitochondrial control region in two vulture species, gypaetus barbatus and neophron percnopterus. | we report the first entire mitochondrial dna (mtdna) control region sequences in two endangered vulture species, the bearded vulture (gypaetus barbatus) and the egyptian vulture (neophron percnopterus). results showed that the general organization of vulture control regions was very similar to other birds, with three distinct domains: a left variable domain (di), a central conserved one (dii) including the f, e, d, and c boxes, and a right domain (diii) containing the csb1 sequence. however, due ... | 2008 | 15247313 |
| genetic signatures of population bottlenecks, relatedness, and inbreeding highlight recent and novel conservation concerns in the egyptian vulture. | the assessment of temporal variation in genetic features can be particularly informative on the factors behind demography and viability of wildlife populations and species. we used molecular methods to evaluate neutral genetic variation, relatedness, bottlenecks, and inbreeding in a declining population of egyptian vulture (neophron percnopterus) in central spain. the results show that the genetic diversity remained relatively stable over a period of twelve years despite the decline in census an ... | 2021 | 33828925 |
| interspecific comparison of the performance of soaring migrants in relation to morphology, meteorological conditions and migration strategies. | performance of migrating birds can be affected by a number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors like morphology, meteorological conditions and migration strategies. we compared travel speeds of four raptor species during their crossing of the sahara desert. focusing the analyses on this region allows us to compare different species under equivalent conditions in order to disentangle which factors affect migratory performance. | 2012 | 22768314 |
| food safety in scavenger conservation: diet-associated exposure to livestock pharmaceuticals and opportunist mycoses in threatened cinereous and egyptian vultures. | pharmaceuticals from veterinary treatments may enter terrestrial food webs when medicated livestock are available to wildlife in supplementary feeding stations aimed at the conservation of endangered scavengers. here, we hypothesized that the exposure risk to livestock fluoroquinolones, as indicators of pharmaceutical burden in food, is related to the variable reliance of scavengers on domestic versus wild animal carcasses. since the misuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics is a major predisposing f ... | 2017 | 27750097 |
| characterization of exo-s, exo-u, and alg virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance in pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from migratory egyptian vultures from india. | this study of pseudomonas aeruginosa in fecal droppings of migratory egyptian vultures (neophron p. percnopterus) revealed eight positive samples (n=25) by a 16s rrna gene-based pcr in two consecutive winter seasons. disk diffusion sensitivity testing revealed three multiple antimicrobial resistant (mar) isolates. genotypic characterization showed mutually exclusive exo-s and exo-u virulence genes in five and three isolates, respectively, while the alg gene was present in all of the isolates. ma ... | 2014 | 25317261 |
| determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in small-size serum samples by solid-phase extraction followed by gas chromatography with micro-electron-capture detection. | an new method for the determination of polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) in serum samples of up to 1 ml has been developed. the procedure consisted in the solid-phase extraction (spe) of the analytes on an oasis cartridge and the subsequent on-line elimination of the fat by directly dropping of the eluate from the spe cartridge on a multilayer column placed below the cartridge. this configuration allowed minimising of the sample manipulation as well as the time, solvent and sorbent consumption (i ... | 2002 | 11824816 |
| food predictability determines space use of endangered vultures: implications for management of supplementary feeding. | understanding space use of free-living endangered animals is key to informing management decisions for conservation planning. like most scavengers, vultures have evolved under a context of unpredictability of food resources (i.e., exploiting scattered carcasses that are intermittently available). however, the role of predictable sources of food in shaping spatial ecology of vultures has seldom been studied in detail. here, we quantify the home range of the egyptian vulture (neophron percnopterus ... | 2014 | 25154088 |
| sex- and age-dependent patterns of survival and breeding success in a long-lived endangered avian scavenger. | in long-lived species, the age-, stage- and/or sex-dependent patterns of survival and reproduction determine the evolution of life history strategies, the shape of the reproductive value, and ultimately population dynamics. we evaluate the combined effects of age and sex in recruitment, breeder survival and breeding success of the globally endangered egyptian vulture (neophron percnopterus), using 31-years of exhaustive data on marked individuals in spain. mean age of first reproduction was 7-yr ... | 2017 | 28074860 |
| factors affecting the spatial distribution and breeding habitat of an insular cliff-nesting raptor community. | the specific spatial distribution and habitat association-strongly influenced by environmental factors or competitive interactions-are major issues in ecology and conservation. we located and georeferenced nesting sites of five cliff-nesting raptors (egyptian vulture neophron percnopterus [a locally extinct species], common buzzard buteo buteo, osprey pandion haliaetus, common kestrel falco tinnunculus, barbary falcon falco peregrinus pelegrinoides), and common raven corvus corax on one of the m ... | 2018 | 30402057 |
| domestic waste disposal sites secure food availability but diminish plasma antioxidants in egyptian vulture. | some domestic waste disposal sites (dwds) accumulate enormous amounts of food that humans discard. this food resource is exploited by different species whose population dynamics have as a result been altered. the effects of feeding on human waste on individual health parameters such as body condition are still unknown. traditionally, body condition in wildlife has been assessed using morphological indices based on size and weight. expanding the range of indices to include the analysis of indicat ... | 2019 | 30308825 |
| microorganisms resistant to antimicrobials in wild canarian egyptian vultures (neophron percnopterus majorensis). | due to their predatory habits, raptors may serve as indicators of the presence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in the environment, but they also represent a public health risk for livestock and humans because they can act as reservoirs, sources and spreaders of these bacteria. our objective was to determine the presence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in cloacal samples of canarian egyptian vultures (neophron percnopterus majorensis), an endemic bird of prey. one hundred and forty-two cl ... | 2020 | 32503222 |
| serological evidence of west nile virus infection among birds and horses in some geographical locations of iran. | recent expansion of arboviruses such as west nile (wnv), usutu (usuv), and tick-borne encephalitis (tbev) over their natural range of distribution needs strengthening their surveillance. as common viral vertebrate hosts, birds and horses deserve special attention with routine serological surveillance. here, we estimated the seroprevalence of wnv, usuv and tbev in 160 migrating/resident birds and 60 horses sampled in mazandaran, golestan, north khorasan, kordestan provinces and golestan province ... | 2020 | 32858762 |
| major histocompatibility complex variation in insular populations of the egyptian vulture: inferences about the roles of genetic drift and selection. | insular populations have attracted the attention of evolutionary biologists because of their morphological and ecological peculiarities with respect to their mainland counterparts. founder effects and genetic drift are known to distribute neutral genetic variability in these demes. however, elucidating whether these evolutionary forces have also shaped adaptive variation is crucial to evaluate the real impact of reduced genetic variation in small populations. genes of the major histocompatibilit ... | 2011 | 21535276 |
| retraction: susceptibility to infection and immune response in insular and continental populations of egyptian vulture: implications for conservation. | | 2012 | 23049673 |
| scavengers on the move: behavioural changes in foraging search patterns during the annual cycle. | optimal foraging theory predicts that animals will tend to maximize foraging success by optimizing search strategies. however, how organisms detect sparsely distributed food resources remains an open question. when targets are sparse and unpredictably distributed, a lévy strategy should maximize foraging success. by contrast, when resources are abundant and regularly distributed, simple brownian random movement should be sufficient. although very different groups of organisms exhibit lévy motion ... | 2013 | 23372712 |
| accumulation of pollutants in nestlings of an endangered avian scavenger related to territory urbanization and physiological biomarkers. | we monitor pollutant accumulation and investigate associated changes at the physiological level within the population of an obligate avian scavenger, the egyptian vulture (neophron percnopterus), from catalonia (ne spain). this population is expanding its range, presumably because of the use of human waste disposal sites as food resource. we hypothesized that habitat urbanization, presumably associated with feeding from human wastes, could influence the accumulation of persistent organic polluta ... | 2019 | 31299509 |
| assessing the applicability of stable isotope analysis to determine the contribution of landfills to vultures' diet. | human activities cause changes to occur in the environment that affect resource availability for wildlife. the increase in the human population of cities has led to a rise in the amount of waste deposited in landfills, installations that have become a new food resource for both pest and threatened species such as vultures. in this study we used stable isotope analysis (sia) and conventional identification of food remains from egyptian vultures (neophron percnopterus) to assess the applicability ... | 2018 | 29718940 |
| temporal variations in patterns of escherichia coli strain diversity and antimicrobial resistance in the migrant egyptian vulture. | aims: multiple antimicrobial resistance in escherichia coli of wild vertebrates is a global concern with scarce assessments on the subject from developing countries that have high human-wild species interactions. we studied the ecology of e. coli in a wintering population of egyptian vultures in india to understand temporal changes in both e. coli strains and patterns of antimicrobial resistance. methods and results: we ribotyped e. coli strains and assessed antimicrobial resistance from winteri ... | 2018 | 29755700 |
| probing into farmers' perceptions of a globally endangered ecosystem service provider. | society's perception of ecosystem services is a key issue in conservation, particularly for endangered species providing services linked to human activities. misperceptions may lead to wildlife-human conflicts with the risk of disappearance of the species involved. we contrasted farmers' perceptions with highly accurate quantitative data of an endangered vulture species, which provide ecosystem services. we combined surveys of 59 farmers with data from 48 gps-tagged canarian egyptian vultures (n ... | 2019 | 30244355 |
| food predictability and social status drive individual resource specializations in a territorial vulture. | despite increasing work detailing the presence of foraging specializations across a range of taxa, limited attention so far has been given to the role of spatiotemporal variation in food predictability in shaping individual resource selection. here, we studied the exploitation of human-provided carrion resources differing in predictability by canarian egyptian vultures (neophron percnopterus majorensis). we focussed specifically on the role of individual characteristics and spatial constraints i ... | 2018 | 30310140 |
| cosmetic colouring by bearded vultures gypaetus barbatus: still no evidence for an antibacterial function. | bearded vultures regularly visit ferruginous springs for cosmetic purposes to obtain their reddish plumage colouration. different hypotheses have been proposed to explain this deliberate application of adventitious colouration: (1) to signal individual dominance status; (2) to exploit an anti-bacterial effect of iron oxides or ochre to reduce feather degradation by bacteria and, in parallel (3) to enable incubating birds to transfer this protection to their developing embryos to increase hatchin ... | 2019 | 31143529 |
| spontaneous arteriosclerosis in a population of free-living egyptian vultures (neophron percnopterus). i. prevalence, morphology and evolution of lesions. | | 1965 | 5296148 |
| spontaneous arteriosclerosis in a population of free-living egyptian vultures (neophron percnopterus). ii. histochemistry of lesions and chemical analysis of aortic tissue and blood serum. | | 1966 | 5297615 |
| blood chemistry and haematological values of captive egyptian vultures (neophron percnopterus). | plasma from 24 captive, clinically normal, egyptian vultures (neophron percnopterus) was analysed in order to provide haematological and chemistry reference values for use in clinical pathology. the values found were broadly similar to those reported by previous authors in other species of vultures and raptors. no sex or subspecies differences were observed for any of the parameters studied. aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase, were higher during spring than during ... | 1996 | 18645883 |
| levels of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in serum samples of egyptian vulture (neophron percnopterus) from spain. | concentrations of 23 polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs), p,p'-ddt and two of its metabolites, p,p'-dde and p,p'-tde have been measured in serum samples of up to 1 ml of egyptian vulture (neophron percnopterus) gathered from five populations in spain. sigmapcb concentrations were found to be in the range 3.2-97 ng/ml, while those of sigmaddts ranged from 0.93 to 38 ng/ml. p,p'-ddt/p,p'-dde ratios higher than one were only found in the segovia population, which could be an indication of recent use o ... | 2004 | 15006510 |
| wind effects on the migration routes of trans-saharan soaring raptors: geographical, seasonal, and interspecific variation. | wind is among the most important environmental factors shaping birds' migration patterns. birds must deal with the displacement caused by crosswinds and their behavior can vary according to different factors such as flight mode, migratory season, experience, and distance to goal areas. here we analyze the relationship between wind and migratory movements of three raptor species which migrate by soaring-gliding flight: egyptian vulture neophron percnopterus, booted eagle aquila pennata, and short ... | 2016 | 29491895 |