ABSTRACT Most raptor populations are declining and nearly a fifth are threatened with extinction; thus there is a need to increase collaboration to ensure efficient and effective research, management, and conservation. Here, we introduce the Global Raptor Impact Network (GRIN; www.globalraptors.org ), a tool to enhance collaboration and conservation impact of the raptor research community. We provide an overview of the history and current state of GRIN, including plans for expansion. Predecessors to GRIN include The African Raptor DataBank, which was launched in 2012 to ascertain the conservation status of raptors across Africa; and the Global Raptor Information Network, which was launched in the late 1990s as a website to provide information regarding diurnal raptors and facilitate communication among researchers. GRIN expands the data collection and storage capabilities of the African Raptor DataBank to a global scale via mobile application. We have implemented data-sharing rules to ensure the safety of sensitive species, and users of the GRIN mobile app can designate their records as confidential. GRIN staff and partners are developing analyses of species' population trends and geographic distributions to aid in conservation assessments. GRIN is also developing systematic reviews, detailed bibliographies, and online accounts that will summarize the state of knowledge for each raptor species. We hope that GRIN will benefit the entire raptor research community and aid in the collaboration necessary to help raptor populations thrive in the Anthropocene.

ABSTRACT Despite efforts to recover the California Condor ( Gymnogyps californianus ) in the past 30 yr, the species is still Critically Endangered due in part to dependence on field management and captive breeding. Captive breeding focuses not only on the quantity of young produced every year, but also on the quality of these birds, to ensure their future success in the wild. In this study, The Peregrine Fund pioneered the use of unpaired adult condors as foster parents to increase the number of young being raised by conspecifics, and therefore likely increase their chances of success in the wild. A total of 17 young have been raised to fledging by unpaired adults with previous rearing experience at The Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey from 2012 to 2019. Three unpaired males successfully raised eight young. An unpaired female raised young in 2018 and 2019 after her infertile eggs were switched with hatching eggs. We also separated a pair of condors and had each attempt to raise young on their own, for a total of seven young raised. The adult that remained in the original chamber always raised young successfully. The adult that was separated, however, often rejected the dummy egg that was offered in the new chamber. The use of unpaired adults as foster parents provides the recovery effort with additional benefits, such as having experienced breeders raising young, having “backup” parents, keeping unpaired adults occupied with breeding tasks, and preventing them from being housed as surplus animals.

ABSTRACT One Health brings the powerful interrelationship between human and wildlife health together with ecosystem health. The initial concept of One Health was formulated decades ago and focused on disease transfer from wildlife to human populations. More recently, the concept has been used to associate resilience to disease with the health of the ecosystem and resilience to environmental stressors. The need for a One Health approach is particularly evident in the plight of Old World vultures, which are facing a conservation crisis due to drastic reductions in populations across their entire range. Moreover, vulture conservation exemplifies many contemporary tenets of One Health; vultures are critical to a sustainable and resilient ecosystem, which in turn is essential for the socio-ecological health of human communities. In this review, we examine the complex factors contributing to the demise of Old World vulture populations, using the lens of One Health to conceptualize the primary drivers impacting the health and sustainability of these populations. The One Health concept provides the basis for the development of a framework that incorporates a multidimensional approach and includes human health, wildlife health, environmental and disease-related stressors, disease incidences, societal pressures, and environmental contaminants. Integrating societal needs with management aimed at maintaining healthy vulture populations is key for successfully using a One Health framework to optimize the health of human and wildlife populations and ensure ecosystem health.

ABSTRACT Conservation of predators requires a comprehensive understanding of their life history and ecology, including the delineation of temporal and spatial dietary habits. Gyrfalcons (Falco rusticolus), Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus), and Rock Ptarmigan (L. muta) are Arctic specialists, strongly linked in a dynamic predator-prey relationship, and facing similar conservation threats. We studied Gyrfalcon predation of ptarmigan on Alaska's Seward Peninsula and investigated whether species-specific contributions to diet reflected preferential selection or exploitation of the more abundant prey species. Additionally, we examined how the sex ratios of ptarmigan in Gyrfalcon diet varied throughout the breeding season. We collected ptarmigan prey remains from in and around occupied Gyrfalcon nesting sites in 2017, and identified species and sex by molecular techniques. We compared proportions of the two ptarmigan species in Gyrfalcon diet to proportions of the Rock and Willow Ptarmigans' preferred habitat around Gyrfalcon nesting sites (n = 205 skeletal remains from 12 nests), and compared sex ratios of ptarmigan prey remains temporally (n = 252 skeletal remains from 12 nests). We found that prey remains were more likely to be Rock Ptarmigan when areas around Gyrfalcon sites had greater slope and higher elevation (i.e., they better matched the habitat preferences of Rock Ptarmigan), which may suggest Gyrfalcon diet tracked ptarmigan availability without preference for species. Ptarmigan remains were biased toward male birds during June, when most female ptarmigan are incubating on concealed nests. Although we recommend additional analysis of these topics, our findings further our understanding of Gyrfalcon and ptarmigan ecology as the Arctic faces rapid changes to its climate and landscape.

Determining a species' geographic range is important for conservation planning, yet this information is lacking for many raptors. In rapidly changing environments, defining current and predicting future distributions can help define priority areas for monitoring and research. The Laggar Falcon ( Falco jugger ) is a rare and understudied raptor resident across the Indian subcontinent, categorized as Near Threatened, with populations potentially in rapid decline. Using a Species Distribution Modelling framework we update current distribution and predict future distribution based on two future climate change scenarios for 2050. Our current distribution model had high predictive accuracy, and defined core areas of high climatic suitability in western India and southeastern Pakistan. Three bioclimatic variables contributed 79.9% to model prediction: mean temperature of the wettest quarter (50.1%), precipitation seasonality (17.6%), and precipitation in the driest month (12.2%). Projecting our model into climate change scenarios for 2050 resulted in up to 6% mean gain in suitable climate space for a lower emission scenario, but a 5% mean loss in suitable climate by 2050 in a high emissions scenario. All future predictive models showed similar multidirectional range movements within the current predicted core range. Based on these results, Laggar Falcon distribution may not be adversely affected by climate change. We recommend directed population surveys and monitoring based on current model predictions of areas of highest climate suitability, which are likely where Laggar Falcons will persist into the near future. Regular monitoring and research will enhance our knowledge for this raptor, while contributing further data to improve our model predictions.

Species considered raptors are subjects of monitoring programs, textbooks, scientific societies, legislation, and multinational agreements. Yet no standard definition for the synonymous terms “raptor” or “bird of prey” exists. Groups, including owls, vultures, corvids, and shrikes are variably considered raptors based on morphological, ecological, and taxonomic criteria, depending on the authors. We review various criteria previously used to define raptors and we present an updated definition that incorporates current understanding of bird phylogeny. For example, hunting live vertebrates has been largely accepted as an ecological trait of raptorial birds, yet not all species considered raptors are raptorial (e.g., Palm-nut Vulture [ Gypohierax angolensis ]), and not all raptorial birds are considered raptors (e.g., skuas [Stercorariidae]). Acute vision, a hooked bill, and sharp talons are the most commonly used morphological characters for delineating raptors; however, using those characters as criteria may cause confusion because they can be vague and exceptions are sometimes made. Old World vultures, for example, are in the family Accipitridae along with hawks and eagles, and thus are usually considered raptors despite their lack of sharp talons. We define raptors as species within orders that evolved from raptorial landbirds (Telluraves) in which most species maintained raptorial lifestyles. Raptors are therefore all species within Accipitriformes, Cathartiformes, Falconiformes, and Strigiformes. Importantly, we believe that seriemas (Cariamiformes) should also be considered raptors. Our definition combines phylogeny with morphology and ecology, and avoids ambiguity associated with owls, vultures, and shrikes. Establishing a common definition of raptors should improve interpretability across studies and lessen ambiguity of research and management recommendations.