Raptor

Distribution

The raptors are carnivorous, Charognard S or Prédateur S that it is Insectivore S, fishermen, consuming birds, reptiles, small mammals. Among the Predatory S, it there with the Eagle, the Falcon and the Owl. They have their greenhouses to seize their preys. They are called birds of prey . The others, like the Vulture S and the Gypaète S, are Charognard S, and nourish skins of dead animals.

In Europe , it is the Russia of Europe (33 nicheuses species of raptors diurnal and night) and the Ukraine (29 nicheuses species) which still accommodate the greatest number of raptors nicheurs for all the West Paléarctique.

the France also has a great responsibility as regards Nature conservation for these species, because so of many species strongly regressed there or locally disappeared, the metropolitan France acceuille even more than 60% of the species of raptors nicheurs in Europe (25 species out of 40, including 23 nicheuses regular), that is to say the greatest number of nicheuses species of Western Europe after Spain, which in account it 26 species.
75% of the diurnal raptors of Western Europe reproduces on the French territory.
Sur 23 species of regular nicheurs in Metropolitan France, seven are regarded as very rare (less than one hundred couples) and four do not exceed 2.000 couples.
286 000 to 392.000 reproductive couples, is 21% of manpower of Western-European raptors were considered present (by IFEN), but the essence of these populations is provided by two species only: the adjustable nozzle which constitutes 43% of the total of manpower of raptors and the falcon kestrel (25%).
La Metropolitan France was with the beginning of the year 2000 with 1st or 2nd row of abundance in Western Europe for 50% of the species of raptors which it shelters. 13 species constitute there they only more than 10% of European manpower. The French populations of the hen harrier and black Milan there are rare, but represent more than 50% of the populations of Western Europe. The Auvergne areas, the Rhone-Alps, Provence-Alp-Coast of Azure and the Midday-Pyrenees, thanks to varied landscapes, a favorable climate and a good degree of Naturalité of the territory (for the back country at least) count among those where the raptors nicheurs are most abundant.

France of overseas is also responsible for the protection of a very important ecological inheritance, among richest of the world, including an important fauna raptor, in particular in Guyana (80% of the known raptors and still present in the DOM-TOM with the beginning of the year 2000). Nearly 40% of these species are rare or localized even endemic. The Autour with white belly (more than 2.500 couples) in New Caledonia is there endemic, like the east the Busard of the Meeting on the Île of the Meeting or the sparrowhawk of France to Mayotte.

Dynamics of populations

The raptors as a Prédateur S superiors are very sensitive to the presence and the variations of abundance of the preys or their corpses (in the case of the raptors vultures). Because they are, in the trophic Réseau, located at the top of the “food pyramid” , they have also sensitive to the rates of Polluant S or contaminant bioaccumulés by their preys. The pesticides and heavy metals are important causes of disappearance or regression of many species of raptors). For these reasons, they are regarded as goods Bio-indicateur S of the state of their environment and his evolution.

In a nature preserved, the number of individuals present on a territory and the variety in cash depend on the number of preys available. But except in the African primary forests and some places relatively saved by pollution, the number of raptors per hectare is controlled also more and more by the degree of contamination of their preys; the contamination by lead resulting from the lead of hunting is thus the first cause of disappearance of the Condor of California and remains an important cause of avian Saturnisme for the eagle. Others " ecological Wells " can affect the populations, in particular the lines with high voltage and the Roadkill which are significant and important causes of mortality or serious wounds of raptors. The phenomenon known as of luminous Pollution could also affect certain species, night in particular.

The raptors influence the number of preys available only if there is proliferation of these last on a long run. The reduction in the preys is in fact always related to other factors, such as for example the Urbanisation, the Périurbanisation, the ecological Fragmentation of the territory of the eagle or various forms of Pollution. When the quantity of preys decreases, the number of raptors falls, or the species disappears locally. But it can also disappear because of pollution, whereas its preys are still present. These last can then pullulate and more easily convey certain microbes or parasites (ex Tique S conveying the Maladie of Lyme, echinococcus.). This is why the raptors are regarded by the scientists as useful species, to protect, and very good biological indicators of the quality of the mediums where they live or should live.

Characteristics

The digestive system of the raptors does not enable them to digest the totality of the body of the animals which they introduce, except that of the bearded Gypaète, which explains why almost all the raptors reject by the mouth of the remainders in the form of balls of rejection which contain the Poil S, the Os or the Chitine their preys.

The balls are the traces simplest to examine for the ornithologists. They make it possible to the specialists to identify the species which rejected it as well as the consumed species. These balls prove for example that the milans do not eat the Perdrix and that the owls eat primarily small rodents but also insects. The study of the droppings and balls makes it possible to precisely know the food modes and their annual variations, and also to detect certain parasites or microbes, but these studies are more difficult to carry out.

Denomination

Raptor is a loan with the Latin rapax , rapacis of rapere “to carry precipitately”. The vernacular names of raptors were given to them either according to their morphology, or according to their cries, or according to their practices of life, in particular food. For the majority, their vernacular names do not correspond to a Taxon; the standardized names on the other hand, when they are not based on the vernacular names, gather the terms according to a taxon.

The most current names of raptors are:

the eagle S, birds with the large wings and the powerful legs, among 7 kinds;
Around S, sparrowhawks of big size, among 7 kinds;
the jugglers, 1 species;
the Bondrée S, resembling tubes, and apivores, 2 kinds;
the baza S, 1 kind;
the Harrier S, 1 kind;
the Busautour S, 1 kind;
the tubes, among 9 kinds;
the Owl S, predatory diurnal without ears;
the Circaète S, predatory of snakes and lizards, 1 kind;
the Condor S, vultures of America having a great scale of wings, 2 species;
the Chevêche S;
the Chevêchette S, night hunters of small size;
the kestrel S, 1 kind;
the small-dukes, means-dukes, and large-dukes;
the Frightens S, owls generally of big size and with the facial disc in the shape of heart;
the swallow hawk S, 2 kinds;
the sparrowhawks, 1 kind;
the Falcon S, birds of prey of small or average size, a long time domesticated for hunting, 1 kind;
the Fauconnet S, 2 kinds;
the Gymnogène S, 1 kind;
the Gypaète S, 1 species;
the Harfang S;
the harpie S, 1 species;
the Owl X, large predatory night with hululement notorious, among 4 kinds;
the Kétoupa S;
the Milan S, 3 kinds;
the Ninoxe S;
the Cabbage tree S, 1 species;
the Percnoptère S, 1 species;
the Phodile S;
the Sea eagle S, Piscivorous raptors S resembling the eagles, and of which one of the species is the emblem of the the United States, 2 kinds;
the Vulture S, vultures with the head deprived of feathers and the long neck, among 2 families.

History of the perception of the raptors by the Man

If the raptors are considered to be majestic today and that their beneficial role for the environment - in particular nonproliferation of the rodents or the sparrows or the cleansing of the dead carcasses - is not called any more into question, it always was not thus. The Fauconnerie, sport of noble, did not attenuate the negative perception which the population had on these birds. Buffon declared: the birds of prey are wretched, immondes and cowards .

Also, the hunters probably killed them as soon as they could it. If the ornithologists include/understand the role of the raptors in the ecosystem at the beginning of the 20th century, the extermination continues. A distinction is however made between raptors useful and harmful, this one is visible in the first international law on the protection of the birds. It is estimated that nearly fifteen thousand sea eagles with white head is killed out of 1917 to 1940 with the the United States. Premiums were even versed in France for the demolition of the “harmful” raptors, one thus could estimate at two hundreds to three hundred and thousand the number of raptors shot down per annum.

In France, it was necessary to await 1964 for to protect certain species. Certain not very scrupulous hunters continue in spite of very cutting down them. In 1972, a new decree protects all the diurnal and night raptors in France.

The Fauconnerie changed almost everywhere with other objectives that hunting, for example of the raptors are centers of attraction intended to attract the tourists in certain parks with topics like the Château of Milandes, the Château of Valkenburg, the Château of Bubble, etc

See too

Random links: