Bridging Evolutionary History and Conservation of New World Vultures.

The New World Vultures (Cathartidae) include seven species of obligate scavengers that, despite their ecological relevance, present critical information gaps around their evolutionary history and conservation. Insights into their phylogenetic relationships in recent years has enabled the addressing of such information gaps through approaches based on phylogeny. We reconstructed the ancestral area in America of the current species using two regionalization schemes and methods: Biogeography with Bayesian Evolutionary Analysis (BioGeoBears) and Bayesian Binary Model-Monte Carlo Markov Chains (BBM-MCMC). Then, we identified the priority species and areas for conservation by means of the Evolutionary Distinctiveness index (ED), as a proxy of the uniqueness of species according to phylogeny, and the Global Endangerment index (GE), mapping phylogenetic diversity. We found that the ancestral area of New World Vultures in America corresponds to South America, with dispersal processes that led to a recolonization of North America by Coragyps atratus, Gymnogyps californianus and Cathartes aura. We identified the Black Vulture, G. californianus and Vultur gryphus as priority species based on ED and "Evolutionary Distinct Globally Endangered" (EDGE) indexes, and the lowlands of Amazon River basin and the Orinoco basin and some tributaries areas of the Guiana Shield were identified as the priority areas when mapping the phylogenetic diversity. This study highlights the importance of filling knowledge gaps of species of conservation concern through the integration of evolutionary and ecological information and tools and, thus, developing adequate strategies to enhance the preservation of these species in the face of the current loss of biodiversity.

Anthropogenic threats to the Vulnerable Andean Condor in northern South America.

Vultures comprise one of the most threatened groups of birds worldwide. With a total population not exceeding 6700 mature individuals, and in rapid decline across its range, the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) is listed as a Vulnerable species in the IUCN red list. Local population extinctions and decline are of particular concern in northern South America, where no more than 340 condors may exist at present. Despite this, no quantitative assessments exist in Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela regarding the threats affecting Andean Condor populations. To address this, we compiled records of Andean Condors injured, or killed, between 1979 and 2021. We obtained data of 164 condors affected by different causes of injury, of which 83.5% were reported in Ecuador, 15.2% in Colombia, and 1.2% in Venezuela. Of the total number, 84.7% of the injured individuals died. Between 1979 and 2021, in Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela, at least 103 Andean Condors were presumably poisoned, 22 were shot, and 39 individuals were affected by other causes. The total number of individuals affected by different causes represents between 48% and 72% of the total population estimated in northern South America. Of great concern is the fact that, between 2007 and 2021, poisoning and shooting together caused the loss of 19-31% of the estimated population of condors in Ecuador, and 7-21% of the estimated population in Colombia. Given the important mortality induced by humans, environmental education programs, socio-ecological research, application of environmental laws, and management strategies based on scientific evidence to prevent and mitigate human-wildlife conflicts are urgently required for effective Andean Condor conservation in northern South America.

Human-raptor conflict in rural settlements of Colombia.

In human-transformed landscapes, predators may feed on domesticated animals, and thus affect human well-being, creating negative perceptions and leading to conflict with people that can result in the persecution of the predator. We studied the factors that influence the perception of the Black-and-chestnut Eagle (Spizaetus isidori) in four rural Andean communities in Colombia and compiled historical and recent evidence on the persecution and other causes of mortality of this species in the country. We applied 267 questionnaires and conducted 16 interviews with local inhabitants, via visits to homes and schools in the surroundings of S. isidori nests. The perception of S. isidori by the inhabitants was largely negative and influenced by different socio-demographic factors such as gender, chicken (Gallus gallus) ownership, and chicken management. The records we obtained indicate that 47 eagles were shot, 16 were captured (three for illegal trafficking) and two were electrocuted on high-tension wires. The persecution of S. isidori occurs as retaliation or as a preventative measure against chicken predation, and is a significant cause of mortality of this species in Colombia. Effective conservation planning for S. isidori in Colombia needs to go further than the protected areas system, and include a socioecological perspective in conservation practices applied at landscapes scales that are dominated by people. Education programs and socioecological research, along with participatory work in local communities are key to the conservation of S. isidori in breeding territories. This approach can also prevent conflict over food resources-G. gallus and other poultry-that are shared by humans and S. isidori in rural landscapes.