e-obs Stories & Publications

@article{bounas_displacement_2026,

title = {Displacement effects on an endangered cinereous vulture population in a landscape of increasing wind power development},

author = {Anastasios Bounas and Elzbieta Kret and Lavrentis Sidiropoulos and Sylvia Zakkak and Eleftherios Kapsalis and Volen Arkumarev and Dobromir Dobrev and Anton Stamenov and Stoycho Stoychev and Dimitris Vasilakis},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320726000364},

doi = {10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111728},

issn = {0006-3207},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-03-01},

urldate = {2026-02-17},

journal = {Biological Conservation},

volume = {315},

pages = {111728},

abstract = {Windenergy is widely considered to be an integral part in global efforts to mitigate climate change, but its rapid expansion is raising concerns regarding its impacts on biodiversity and specifically soaring birds which rely on the same high-wind landscapes targeted for turbine siting. Understanding how these developments alter space use, movement behaviour, and energy expenditure is critical for mitigating impacts on threatened populations. Here, we combined two decades of telemetry data to evaluate the responses of Cinereous vultures (Aegypius monachus) in a region undergoing substantialwind power plant development. Long-term analyses (2004\textendash2022) revealed pronounced displacement, with population utilization reduced by 85\textendash89% within 200 m of turbines. High-resolution GPS tracking (2016\textendash2021) provided complementary behavioural insights, showing significant reductions in crossing rates, daily flight distances and time spent near turbines once they became operational. We also identified areas of increased vulture activity that overlap with planned wind farms under licensing, suggesting that such sites may represent critical corridors for population movement and should remain undeveloped. Our findings support considering cumulative displacement and potential energetic costs in environmental assessments alongside major existing threats, including poisoning and electrocution. We recommend spatial planning that avoids core movement areas to reconcile renewable energy expansion with the conservation of large soaring raptors.},

keywords = {accelerometer, Cumulative impacts, Displacement, Energetic costs, Flight behaviour, flying bird, scavenger, Soaring birds, Space use, Spatial planning, Vulture, Wind energy},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{longarini_effect_2023,

title = {Effect of harness design for tag attachment on the flight performance of five soaring species},

author = {Arianna Longarini and Olivier Duriez and Emily Shepard and Kamran Safi and Martin Wikelski and Martina Scacco},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-023-00408-y},

doi = {10.1186/s40462-023-00408-y},

issn = {2051-3933},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-07-01},

urldate = {2025-10-28},

journal = {Movement Ecology},

volume = {11},

number = {1},

pages = {39},

abstract = {Bio-logging devices play a fundamental and indispensable role in movement ecology studies, particularly in the wild. However, researchers are aware of the influence that attaching devices can have on animals, particularly on their behaviour, energy expenditure and survival. The way a device is attached to an animal’s body has also potential consequences for the collected data, and quantifying the type and magnitude of such potential effects is fundamental to enable researchers to combine and compare data from different studies, as much as it is to improve animal welfare. For over two decades, large terrestrial birds have been in the focus of long-term movement ecology research, employing bio-logging devices attached with different types of harnesses. However, comparative studies investigating the effects of different harness types used on these species are scarce.},

keywords = {Backpack, Bio-logging, Flight performance, Harness type, Leg-loop, Soaring birds, Tagging methods},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}