How to translate text using browser tools
13 September 2017 Summer and winter space use and home range characteristics of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in eastern North America
Tricia A. Miller, Robert P. Brooks, Michael J. Lanzone, Jeff Cooper, Kieran O'Malley, David Brandes, Adam Duerr, Todd E. Katzner
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Movement behavior and its relationship to habitat provide critical information toward understanding the effects of changing environments on birds. The eastern North American population of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) is a genetically distinct and small population of conservation concern. To evaluate the potential responses of this population to changing landscapes, we calculated the home range and core area sizes of 52 eagles of 6 age–sex classes during the summer and winter seasons. Variability in range size was related to variation in topography and open cover, and to age and sex. In summer, eagle ranges that were smaller had higher proportions of ridge tops and open cover and had greater topographic roughness than did larger ranges. In winter, smaller ranges had higher proportions of ridge tops, hillsides and cliffs, and open cover than did larger ranges. All age and sex classes responded similarly to topography and open cover in both seasons. Not surprisingly, adult eagles occupied the smallest ranges in both seasons. Young birds used larger ranges than adults, and subadults in summer used the largest ranges (>9,000 km2). Eastern adult home ranges in summer were 2–10 times larger than those reported for other populations in any season. Golden Eagles in eastern North America may need to compensate for generally lower-quality habitat in the region by using larger ranges that support access to adequate quantities of resources (prey, updrafts, and nesting, perching, and roosting sites) associated with open cover and diverse topography. Our results suggest that climate change–induced afforestation on the breeding grounds and ongoing land cover change from timber harvest and energy development on the wintering grounds may affect the amount of suitable habitat for Golden Eagles in eastern North America.

© 2017 Cooper Ornithological Society.
Tricia A. Miller, Robert P. Brooks, Michael J. Lanzone, Jeff Cooper, Kieran O'Malley, David Brandes, Adam Duerr, and Todd E. Katzner "Summer and winter space use and home range characteristics of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in eastern North America," The Condor 119(4), 697-719, (13 September 2017). https://doi.org/10.1650/CONDOR-16-154.1
Received: 24 August 2016; Accepted: 6 July 2017; Published: 13 September 2017
KEYWORDS
home range
movement behavior
movement ecology
raptors
telemetry
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top