Raptor health as an indicator of ecosystem health - development of novel surveillance tools for conservation
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Scienc
Abstract
Scotland's raptors are internationally important, with large populations of five species given high level protection within EU Special Protection Areas. Some raptors nest in Scotland at higher densities and/or more productively than elsewhere. Recently, significant effort has gone into to developing the evidence base on the distribution, numbers and productivity of raptors through the formation of the Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme (SRMS) and its unique database which currently holds >6,000 records. The Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme(SRMS) is chaired by SNH, with seven other members: Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC, UK statutory nature conservation adviser), Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS), Scottish Raptor Study Group (SRSG), British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), RSPB, Scottish Ornithologists' Club (SOC), and Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP).
Emerging from this work is a growing concern about raptor health. Natural mortality appears to be higher in some regions than others, and there is substantial variation in development and condition of chicks which is largely unexplained by factors such as food supply. At the top of the food chain, raptors reflect changes in their habitat and food supplies. We have recent evidence of climate change influences on golden eagle productivity; wetter spring conditions in west Scotland over the last thirty years are strongly correlated with reduced productivity, possibly due to poor adult health. We suspect that infectious and non-infectious disease may account for much more of the variation in raptor mortality than previously assessed. Some mortality may be related to poor nutrition and may be density-dependent, which has key implications for managing protected areas.
We propose to have a student develop a new conservation tool for assessing the health of Scotland's raptors, using access to new and previously untapped data sources. First, one of our partners, SASA, undertakes analyses of 100-300 raptor corpses each year to detect pesticides, poisons and other chemicals. No other post mortem examinations are routinely made of these; the student will rectify this to develop a better understanding of why these birds have died, and their health status. Second, working with the 250+ active members of the Scottish Raptor Study Group, the student will collect feathers and, under licence, blood samples of chicks, to assess levels of disease, parasitism and key nutrients in these birds. Third, for the key conservation reintroduction programmes (sea eagles, red kites), the student will pool data from feather and blood samples to determine the health of 'released' compared with 'established' birds. Fourth, the student will draw together data on the raptors' prey base (notably through analysing regurgitated pellet contents, and comparing these with prey remains left in the nest) to look for regional variations, and if possible, assess the nutritional condition of some prey based on chemical analyses of the bones (in pellets and nest remains).
Although a lot of work has been published on numbers, distribution and productivity of raptors, where health of wild raptors in Scotland is concerned, we have a very limited baseline. Accordingly, we propose that the student focuses on four key objectives:
1. Provide an overview of the health of raptors found dead and submitted to SASA for chemical analyses;
2. Assess the health of raptor chicks, focusing on golden eagle and buzzard, and develop metrics for assessing this;
3. Look for regional variation in the health of raptor chicks, and factors accounting for this; and
4. Devise a tool for assessing the health of raptors, which addresses fieldwork and post mortem requirements, and provides a steer on indicators.
Emerging from this work is a growing concern about raptor health. Natural mortality appears to be higher in some regions than others, and there is substantial variation in development and condition of chicks which is largely unexplained by factors such as food supply. At the top of the food chain, raptors reflect changes in their habitat and food supplies. We have recent evidence of climate change influences on golden eagle productivity; wetter spring conditions in west Scotland over the last thirty years are strongly correlated with reduced productivity, possibly due to poor adult health. We suspect that infectious and non-infectious disease may account for much more of the variation in raptor mortality than previously assessed. Some mortality may be related to poor nutrition and may be density-dependent, which has key implications for managing protected areas.
We propose to have a student develop a new conservation tool for assessing the health of Scotland's raptors, using access to new and previously untapped data sources. First, one of our partners, SASA, undertakes analyses of 100-300 raptor corpses each year to detect pesticides, poisons and other chemicals. No other post mortem examinations are routinely made of these; the student will rectify this to develop a better understanding of why these birds have died, and their health status. Second, working with the 250+ active members of the Scottish Raptor Study Group, the student will collect feathers and, under licence, blood samples of chicks, to assess levels of disease, parasitism and key nutrients in these birds. Third, for the key conservation reintroduction programmes (sea eagles, red kites), the student will pool data from feather and blood samples to determine the health of 'released' compared with 'established' birds. Fourth, the student will draw together data on the raptors' prey base (notably through analysing regurgitated pellet contents, and comparing these with prey remains left in the nest) to look for regional variations, and if possible, assess the nutritional condition of some prey based on chemical analyses of the bones (in pellets and nest remains).
Although a lot of work has been published on numbers, distribution and productivity of raptors, where health of wild raptors in Scotland is concerned, we have a very limited baseline. Accordingly, we propose that the student focuses on four key objectives:
1. Provide an overview of the health of raptors found dead and submitted to SASA for chemical analyses;
2. Assess the health of raptor chicks, focusing on golden eagle and buzzard, and develop metrics for assessing this;
3. Look for regional variation in the health of raptor chicks, and factors accounting for this; and
4. Devise a tool for assessing the health of raptors, which addresses fieldwork and post mortem requirements, and provides a steer on indicators.
Organisations
- University of Edinburgh (Lead Research Organisation)
- Zoological Society of London (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF THE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS (Collaboration)
- UK CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGY (Collaboration)
- NatureScot (Scottish Natural Heritage) (Student Project Partner)
People |
ORCID iD |
Anna Meredith (Primary Supervisor) | |
Gabriela Peniche (Student) |
Studentship Projects
Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
NE/M009602/1 | 01/11/2015 | 31/12/2019 | |||
1658354 | Studentship | NE/M009602/1 | 01/11/2015 | 31/10/2019 | Gabriela Peniche |
Description | My work consists of assessing the health of the ecosystem by measuring it through the health of birds of prey and I am doing this, by using a combination of biological and biochemical approaches. There are two main components to the project: First one is through post mortem examinations. I have set up a network so that any raptor found dead in Scotland is sent to me for post mortem analysis. Through a detailed analysis of carcasses I try to find out the cause of death and I take samples of tissues. In these tissues I look for microbes, parasites and viruses and also I run tests to detect a variety of chemicals such as heavy metals, pesticides and veterinary pharmaceuticals. The post mortem examinations are still ongoing, but so far we have examined 110 individuals of 13 different species of raptor from across Scotland and we have obtained valuable information of what pressures is the ecosystem having on raptors, what chemicals are in the environment and making their way up the food chain. Second component of the study is through sampling of live golden eagle chicks to investigate an early mortality of golden eagle nestlings in the western isles which cannot be explained by availability of resources.The blood parameters are helping us create blood reference ranges for golden eagle chicks very valuable for the conservation of the species. Chemical screening of the blood is allowing us to see what chemicals can make their way to golden eagle chicks and the effects these may be having on the chicks health. A Home Office licence allows me to blood sample golden eagle chicks. A full biochemistry and haematology analysis allows let me to have an insight into their health. Toxicology screening for heavy metals, pesticides and pharmaceuticals is also done on the blood and I look for parasites in their blood and bacteria in their faces. By using predators as a sentinel species or indicator species, in this case raptors, I expect to see certain things happening in the raptor population due to bottom up effects, in other words, how human actions can be reflected on the health of raptors. These things that I expect to see include: population declines, disease, deformities, decreased reproduction, changes in sex ratios, and presence of chemicals. Exploring the results of the post mortem examinations and the analysis of samples in conjunction with the location where individuals or samples came from is allowing me to work out a picture of what is happening in the environment. I can see what chemicals are bioaccumulating, in other words making its way up the food chain in each species?, in what locations this happens more often? and what the effects of these chemicals might be on the health of the individuals they are found in? |
Exploitation Route | I expect the results of this study to benefit raptor conservation through improved understanding of how human activities directly affect top predators. I also expect the findings will help support policy advice for environmental conservation. Our knowledge of base line information for various raptor species regarding parasites, diseases, reference ranges for blood parameters has been improved and will be of use for rehabilitation centres, veterinary medicine and translocation programs |
Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Energy,Environment,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Government, Democracy and Justice,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology,Transport |
URL | https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/raptor-health-scotland |
Description | Preliminary findings of health of golden eagle populations across Scotland have helped advice current Scottish Borders golden eagle supplementation |
First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
Sector | Education,Environment |
Description | EWDA small grants |
Amount | € 1,000 (EUR) |
Organisation | Wildlife Disease Association |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United States |
Start | 05/2018 |
End | 06/2019 |
Description | Heavy metal analysis |
Organisation | University of the Highlands and Islands |
Department | Environmental Research Institute |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We are working in conjunction with toxicology and microbiology experts to increase the amount of data that can be obtained from samples obtained from carcasses and live chicks sampled. The information obtained will feed national schemes, will be used to produce peer reviewed publications and adds to the valuable information often scarce when dealing with wildlife and threatened species. |
Collaborator Contribution | We receive technical support, training and expertise from the Environmental Research Institute, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands. |
Impact | -We are currently processing all tissues and bloods obtained so far from post mortem examinations and blood samples and screening 10 heavy metals in each of them. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Raptor microbiology |
Organisation | Zoological Society of London |
Department | Institute of Zoology |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | We are working in conjunction with toxicology and microbiology experts to increase the amount of data that can be obtained from samples obtained from carcasses and live chicks sampled. The information obtained will feed national schemes, will be used to produce peer reviewed publications and adds to the valuable information often scarce when dealing with wildlife and threatened species.The samples we provide are of great value as reference material for living collections that deal with wild/ endangered species. |
Collaborator Contribution | Receive technical support and expertise from ZSL. |
Impact | Samples from golden eagle chicks analysed are serving to create a list of common parasites and pathogens found in golden eagle chicks. This is of great value for our project, learning about the health of raptors and of valuable use to ZSL as reference material when dealing with living collections. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | Raptor monitoring |
Organisation | UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | We are working in conjunction with toxicology and microbiology experts to increase the amount of data that can be obtained from samples obtained from carcasses and live chicks sampled. The information obtained will feed national schemes, will be used to produce peer reviewed publications and adds to the valuable information often scarce when dealing with wildlife and threatened species. We share samples obtained from carcasses for ongoing research done by CEH. |
Collaborator Contribution | CEH has a well establish network of submitters of carcasses and these are being redirected to us when the submission originates in Scotland. CEH analyses rodenticides levels in barn owls and shares the results with us. |
Impact | ongoing processing and analysis of samples originating from post mortem examinations |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | University of Aberdeen |
Organisation | University of Aberdeen |
Department | Department of Chemistry |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Post mortem examinations of 170 Scottish raptors have been done. The assessment of cause of death, other signs of injury, diseases, parasites,etc. together with any findings of heavy metal in the birds tissues will provide us with better understanding of what pressures is the environments exerting on raptors. this health assessment in raptors will permit a better understanding of the health of the Scottish environment. |
Collaborator Contribution | We receive technical support and expertise from the University of Aberdeen for the analysis of heavy metals and their isotopes in tissue samples obtained from Scottish raptors |
Impact | Publication in progress Analysis of samples in progress |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Online interview with Lauder primary School |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | 25 primary students were given my CV a video and a description of my job and as a result a list of questions was prepared by the pupils for me to answer. The activity is part of the south Scotland golden eagle project outreach activities. The university of Edinburgh provides scientific and veterinary support for this project and for this reason I was invited to help with school engagement. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Science Expo |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Open science fair with engaging activities for families covering different ages. Interest in our work and questions about how to help were continuous across the day |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://www.ed.ac.uk/roslin/community-engagement/public-events/events-archive/wild-science |
Description | Talk - Highlands- Scottish Raptor Study Group |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Talk given to update findings of study and maintain engagement with collaborators |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Talk at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Talk to be given as a result of an invitation to discuss my work and the potential implications the findings may have on agricultural practices around the world |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |