Spatiotemporal distribution and density of a falconid at an airport offer insights into management plans

• Published in: European journal of wildlife research Vol. 70; no. 4; p. 79
• Main Authors: de Paula Teixeira, Camila, Cardoso, João Custódio Fernandes, Vilhena, Alice Maria Guimarães Fernandes, Giaretta, Kátia Gomes Facure, de Melo, Celine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: aircraft; Aircraft accidents & safety; Airports; Aviation; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Birds; Brazil; Caracara cheriway; City centres; Collisions; Density; Distribution patterns; Ecology; Fauna; Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management; Food resources; Geographical distribution; landscapes; Life Sciences; risk; Risk assessment; Risk management; Risk reduction; space and time; Spatial distribution; species; Temporal distribution; Urban environments; Zoology; Brazil; Birdstrike; Birds of prey; Cerrado; Wildlife hazard
• ISSN: 1612-4642; 1439-0574
• DOI: 10.1007/s10344-024-01823-1

Airports can be attractive places for fauna to find food resources, especially for large birds, which can cause severe collisions with aircraft. At many Brazilian airports, the Crested Caracara ( Caracara plancus ) is considered a problem due to the high rates of collisions and sightings in risk areas. Therefore, strategies to manage the species at airports are needed. We use an airport located in Central Brazil as a model system to evaluate the density and space-time distribution of Crested Caracara at the airport and in nearby regions. We studied the fortnightly temporal distribution and density of Crested Caracara in five different areas throughout one year, including the airport. Using circular statistics, we found that the spatiotemporal distribution was uneven throughout the year in all observed areas, with sightings peaking at different times. The airport’s distribution differed from three out of four other areas. The density was higher in the region farthest from the city center. In the airport, the density was one of the lowest. The difference between density and temporal distribution patterns can be explained by the species’ foraging dynamics, which shift according to the availability and abundance of resources, which vary randomly over time in the urban landscape. Our research is the first to evaluate the temporal distribution of problematic bird species in airports and their surroundings. The results can contribute to management plans to mitigate the risk imposed by fauna.