Assessing the relative importance of managed crops and semi-natural grasslands as foraging habitats for breeding lesser kestrels Falco naumanni in southeastern Italy

Michelangelo Morganti; Jacopo G. Cecere; Silvia Quilici; Cristina Tarantino; Palma N. Blonda; Matteo Griggio; Roberto Ambrosini; Diego Rubolini

doi:10.2981/wlb.00800

Assessing the relative importance of managed crops and semi-natural grasslands as foraging habitats for breeding lesser kestrels Falco naumanni in southeastern Italy

Wildlife Biology ◽

10.2981/wlb.00800 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Michelangelo Morganti ◽

Jacopo G. Cecere ◽

Silvia Quilici ◽

Cristina Tarantino ◽

Palma N. Blonda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Relative Importance ◽

Falco Naumanni ◽

Natural Grasslands

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Relative importance of habitat area, connectivity, management and local factors for vascular plants: spring ephemerals in boreal semi-natural grasslands

Biodiversity and Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10531-008-9462-9 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 1067-1085 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Katja M. Raatikainen ◽

Risto K. Heikkinen ◽

Miska Luoto

Keyword(s):

Vascular Plants ◽

Relative Importance ◽

Local Factors ◽

Spring Ephemerals ◽

Habitat Area ◽

Natural Grasslands

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Effects of land use, nesting-site availability, and the presence of larger raptors on the abundance of Vulnerable lesser kestrels Falco naumanni in Kazakhstan

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605304000390 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 224-227 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

José L. Tella ◽

Martina Carrete ◽

José A. Sánchez-Zapata ◽

David Serrano ◽

Andrei Gavrilov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Large Scale ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Scale Transformation ◽

Mediterranean Populations ◽

Falco Naumanni ◽

Natural Grasslands ◽

Nesting Site ◽

Lesser Kestrel

The lesser kestrel Falco naumanni is a cavity-nesting falcon that breeds colonially in steppe-like habitats. Circum-Mediterranean populations declined sharply during the 20th century and the species is categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. We investigated the numbers of breeding pairs in Kazakhstan, previously considered to be an important area for the species, where it still inhabits natural steppe and semi-natural grasslands and breeds on cliffs. The availability of cliffs for nesting does not seem to be limiting as most cliffs are unoccupied. However, lesser kestrels tended to breed on small cliffs, where larger predatory raptors are scarcer. Abundance of lesser kestrels was also related to land use. Cliffs in semi-natural grasslands were apparently preferred over those in natural steppe, while those in agricultural landscapes were avoided despite the lower presence there of larger raptors. Large-scale transformation of steppe and grasslands into intensive agriculture might have reduced lesser kestrel numbers, and with the development of new agricultural projects, monitoring and conservation programmes for lesser kestrel populations are urgently required in Kazakhstan.

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