Article | Human disturbance causes French bearded vultures to leave nests

A 2006 article in Biological Conservation by Beatriz Arroyo and Martine Razin showed that the frequency and distance of human activities such as helicopters, hiking, and hunting influence nesting behaviors in French Pyrannes bearded vultures (Gypaetus barbatus). These activities cause birds to leave the nest which can prove fatal for the developing embryo or young chic during critical periods of incubation or brooding. Given that the these threatened birds already have lower fledgling success than their cousins in the Alps, understanding the role of disturbance is important since competition with other raptors, weather, and food availability are also challenges facing the species.

Arroyo, B. and M. Razin. 2006. Effect of human activities in bearded vulture behavior and breeding success in the French Pyranees. Biological Conservation, 128, 276-284. Find pdf here.

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