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10 pages, 1 table, 2 figures.-- Open access, Public surveys can be valuable tools to collect information on wildlife distribution. Our objective was to improve the knowledge on the distribution and expanding areas of the Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) in central Spain by using an on-line questionnaire to hunters. We assessed the reliability of information that hunters provided by comparing it with reports from wildlife professionals. Our results show a high overall congruence but significantly different information provided by hunters and professionals on the distribution of the Egyptian mongoose, suggesting that both sources provide unique data for the management of non-game species. For example, hunters reported greater mongoose presence than professionals in areas to the east of Toledo and Ciudad Real provinces, for the whole distribution and core area of the species, suggesting that hunters could help to detect other areas where the species exists. Overall, our findings stress the importance of engaging hunters in wildlife conservation, as they can share valuable information on wildlife species, including those that are not hunted, E. Descalzo was supported by a predoctoral research contract funded by the University of Castilla-La Mancha co-supported by the Plus European Social Fund (FSE+). F. Díaz-Ruiz was supported by a postdoctoral research contract funded by the University of Málaga through the grant program Ayudas para la Incorporación de Doctores del I Plan Propio de Investigación de la Universidad de Málaga (Call 2020). This study is part of the research project SBPLY/17/180501/000184, funded by the regional Government of CLM and the European Regional Development Fund

The Egyptian mongoose Herpestes ichneumon (Linnaeus, 1758) is the only species of family Herpestidae that occurs naturally in Europe. It was restricted to SW Iberian Peninsula from where it seems to be expanding in the last decades. However, information on mongoose distribution and recent trends in some areas, such as central Spain (e.g. Castilla - La Mancha region), is scarce. With the aim of updating the distribution of the species in Spain, and particularly in this central area, we 1) performed a systematic questionnaire survey to environmental rangers, 2) collected citations from experts, and 3) carried out specific field surveys in some particular areas. Overall, 1,305 citations of the Egyptian mongoose were collected, resulting in 193 new 10x10 km UTM grids with mongoose occurrence in Spain; this extended the Egyptian mongoose distribution to 28.34 % of the Iberian 10x10 km UTM grids. Our results show that the Egyptian mongoose occurs in most of Extremadura, western Castilla - La Mancha and centralwestern Andalucía, with some isolated records in northern areas of Spain. This suggests that the range of this mongoose may be expanding in Spain, although other possible explanations for the new records, such as the lack of previous systematic studies on the species in the allegedly expanding area, could not be fully discarded.

The conservation of animal populations often requires the estimation of population size. Low density and secretive behaviour usually determine scarce data sources and hampers precise abundance estimations of carnivore populations. However, joint analysis of independent scarce data sources in a common modeling framework allows unbiased and precise estimates of population parameters. We aimed to estimate the density of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris) in a protected area of Spain, by combining independent datasets in a spatially-explicit capture-recapture (SCR) framework. Data from live-capture with individual identification, camera-trapping without individual identification and radio-tracking concurrently obtained were integrated in a joint SCR and count data model. Ten live captures of five wildcats were obtained with an effort of 2034 trap-days, whereas seven wildcat independent events were recorded in camera traps with 3628 camera-days. Two wildcats were radio-tagged and telemetry information on their movements was obtained. The integration of the different data sources improved the precision obtained by the standard SCR model. The mean (± SD) density estimated with the integrated model (0.038 ± 0.017 wildcats/km2, 95% highest posterior density 0.013–0.082) is among the lowest values ever reported for this species, despite corresponding to a highly protected area. Among the likely causes of such low density, low prey availability could have triggered an extinction vortex process. We postulate that the estimated low density could represent a common situation of wildcat populations in the southern Iberia, highlighting the need for further studies and urgent conservation actions in the furthermost southwestern range of this species in Europe., Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature., Funding was provided by Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales, Project OAPN 352/2011. We are grateful for the support received during this study from the staff of Cabañeros National Park. We also thank the assistance received during the fieldwork from T. Oliveira, I. Vaz and J.C. Zarca, and during data processing from A. Fragoso. F. Díaz-Ruiz was supported by a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral contract (FJCI-2015-24,949) and is currently supported by a postdoctoral contract from the University of Málaga (I Plan Propio de Investigación y Transferencia, call 2020). P. Monterroso was supported by UID/BIA/50027/2019 with funding from FCT/MCTES through national funds.

Bromadiolone is an anticoagulant rodenticide (AR) commonly used as a plant protection product (PPP) against rodent pests in agricultural lands. ARs can be transferred trophically to predators/scavengers when they consume intoxicated live or dead rodents. ARs exposure in weasels Mustela nivalis, small mustelids specialized on rodent predation, is poorly known in southern Europe. Moreover, in this species there is no information on bioaccumulation of AR diastereomers e.g., cis- and trans-bromadiolone. Trans-bromadiolone is more persistent in the rodent liver and thus, is expected to have a greater probability of trophic transfer to predators. Here, we report on bromadiolone occurrence, total concentrations and diastereomers proportions (trans- and cis-bromadiolone) in weasels from Castilla y León (north-western Spain) collected in 2010–2017, where bromadiolone was irregularly applied to control outbreaks of common voles Microtus arvalis mainly with cereal grain bait distributed by the regional government. We also tested variables possibly associated with bromadiolone occurrence and concentration, such as individual features (e.g., sex), spatio-temporal variables (e.g., year), and exposure risk (e.g., vole outbreaks). Overall bromadiolone occurrence in weasels was 22% (n = 32, arithmetic mean of concentration of bromadiolone positives = 0.072 mg/kg). An individual showed signs of bromadiolone intoxication (i.e., evidence of macroscopic hemorrhages or hyperaemia and hepatic bromadiolone concentration > 0.1 mg/kg). All the exposed weasels (n = 7) showed only trans-bromadiolone diastereomer in liver, whilst a single analyzed bait from those applied in Castilla y León contained trans- and cis-bromadiolone at 65/35%. Bromadiolone occurrence and concentration in weasels varied yearly. Occurrence was higher in 2012 (100% of weasels), when bromadiolone was widely distributed, compared to 2016–2017 (2016: 20%; 2017: 8.33%) when bromadiolone was exceptionally permitted. The highest concentrations happened in 2014 and 2017, both years with vole outbreaks. Our findings indicate that specialist rodent predators could be exposed to bromadiolone in areas and periods with bromadiolone treatments against vole outbreaks., Francisco Díaz-Ruiz enjoyed a postdoctoral research contract “Juan de la Cierva” (ref: FJCI-2015-24949) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness and a postdoctoral contract funded by the University of Málaga through the grants programme ‘Ayudas para la Incorporación de Doctores del I Plan Propio de Investigación de la Universidad de Málaga’ (Call 2020). Julio Domínguez was supported by a predoctoral grant: “Programa Talento Formación” funded by Fondo Social Europeo (FSE) and Castilla La Mancha regional government (JCCM) (ref: SBPLY/16/180501/000205).

Hybridisation between domestic and wild taxa can pose severe threats to wildlife conservation, and human-induced hybridisation, often linked to species' introductions and habitat degradation, may promote reproductive opportunities between species for which natural interbreeding would be highly unlikely. Using a biome-specific approach, we examine the effects of a suite of ecological drivers on the European wildcat's genetic integrity, while assessing the role played by protected areas in this process. We used genotype data from 1217 putative European wildcat samples from 13 European countries to assess the effects of landcover, disturbance and legal landscape protection on the European wildcat's genetic integrity across European biomes, through generalised linear models within a Bayesian framework. Overall, we found European wildcats to have genetic integrity levels above the wildcat-hybrid threshold (ca. 83%; threshold = 80%). However, Mediterranean and Temperate Insular biomes (i.e., Scotland) revealed lower levels, with 74% and 46% expected genetic integrity, respectively. We found that different drivers shape the level of genetic introgression across biomes, although forest integrity seems to be a common factor promoting European wildcat genetic integrity. Wildcat genetic integrity remains high, regardless of landscape legal protection, in biomes where populations appear to be healthy and show recent local range expansions. However, in biomes more susceptible to hybridisation, even protected areas show limited effectiveness in mitigating this threat. In the face of the detected patterns, we recommend that species conservation and management plans should be biome- and landscape-context-specific to ensure effective wildcat conservation, especially in the Mediterranean and Temperate Insular biomes., Thanks are due to FCT/MCTES for the financial support to cE3c (UIDB/00329/2020), through national funds, and the co-funding by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and Compete 2020. PM was supported by UID/BIA/50027/2021 with funding from FCT/MCTES through national funds. FDR was supported by a postdoctoral contract from the University of Málaga (I Plan Propio de Investigación y Transferencia, call 2020). This study was partly funded by research projects CGL2009-10741, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and EU-FEDER, and OAPN 352/2011, funded by the Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales (Spain). Luxembourg sample collection has been co-funded by the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development of Luxembourg. We would like to thank the Bavarian Forest National Park Administration for the approval and support in collecting samples.

Consejería de Transformación Económica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades, Junta de Andalucía: Plan Andaluz de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación; Spanish Ministry of Universities: Ayudas para la Recualificación del Sistema Universitario; Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha: Margarita Salas MS2021; Universidad de Málaga: Ayudas para la Incorporación de Doctores

Today, governments and administrations strive to minimise issues associated with Feral Pigeon (

Humans have transformed most landscapes across the globe, forcing other species to adapt in order to persist in increasingly anthropogenic landscapes. Wide-ranging solitary species, such as wild felids, struggle particularly in such landscapes. Conservation planning and management for their long-term persistence critically depends on understanding what determine survival and what are the main mortality risks. We carried out the first study on annual survival and cause-specific mortality of the European wildcat with a large and unique dataset of 211 tracked individuals from 22 study areas across Europe. Furthermore, we tested the effect of environmental and human disturbance variables on the survival probability. Our results show that mortalities were mainly human-caused, with roadkill and poaching representing 57% and 22% of the total annual mortality, respectively. The annual survival probability of wildcat was 0.92 (95% CI = 0.87–0.98) for females and 0.84 (95% CI = 0.75–0.94) for males. Road density strongly impacted wildcat annual survival, whereby an increase in the road density of motorways and primary roads by 1 km/km2 in wildcat home-ranges increased mortality risk ninefold. Low-traffic roads, such as secondary and tertiary roads, did not significantly affect wildcat's annual survival. Our results deliver key input parameters for population viability analyses, provide planning-relevant information to maintain subcritical road densities in key wildcat habitats, and identify conditions under which wildcat-proof fences and wildlife crossing structures should be installed to decrease wildcat mortality., This research was funded by: the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) as part of the mFund project “WilDa—Dynamic Wildlife–Vehicle Collision warning, using heterogeneous traffic, accident and environmental data as well as big data concepts” grant number 19F2014B; the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) Research Grants, Short-Term Grants, 2020 (57507441); the Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung (DeWiSt). The data from Cabañeros National Park were collected in the frame of the project OAPN 352/2011 funded by Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales. MM was supported by a research contract Ramón y Cajal from the MINECO (RYC-2015-19231). FDR was supported by a postdoctoral contract funded by the University of Málaga through the grants program “Ayudas para la Incorporación de Doctores del I Plan Propio de Investigación de la Universidad de Málaga (Call 2019)”. PM was supported by UIDB/50027/2020 with funding from FCT/MCTES through national funds.

[EN]: The study of people's knowledge through interviews and questionnaires can provide a good picture of the composition of mammal communities. However, there is considerable potential for error and bias in these surveys, including some associated with the familiarity of respondents with wildlife. Our main goals were: 1) to assess mammal community composition of the Huinay Biological Reserve, a remote Valdivian rainforest area in southern Chile, and 2) to evaluate the relationship between the degree of respondents' contact with native mammals and their knowledge about the mammal community. A questionnaire was designed to gather data about the mammal species recorded by people who lived in, or had visited, the area between 2010 and 2013. A total of 13 mammal species were mentioned by 43 participants in the survey. Overall, all the mammal species that inhabit the study area according to general mammal distribution maps were identified in our survey. Both the total number of species mentioned (observed or not) and the number of species seen by the respondents were positively associated with the time they stayed in the area. Our findings suggest that questionnaire surveys may provide useful information about the composition of mammal communities in remote areas of southern Chile, but selecting knowledgeable respondents is challenging. [ES]: El estudio del conocimiento de la gente mediante cuestionarios puede proporcionar una buena idea de la composición de las comunidades de mamíferos. Sin embargo, existen sesgos y errores potenciales en estos estudios, como los asociados a la familiaridad de los encuestados con la fauna. Nuestros objetivos principales fueron: 1) evaluar la composición de la comunidad de mamíferos de la Reserva Biológica de Huinay, un área remota de bosque Valdiviano en el sur de Chile, y 2) analizar la relación entre el grado de contacto de los encuestados con los mamíferos nativos y su conocimiento sobre la comunidad de mamíferos. Designamos un cuestionario para obtener información sobre el número de especies de mamíferos registradas por la gente que vivió en, o visitó, el área entre 2010 y 2013. Los 43 participantes en este trabajo registraron un total de 13 especies de mamíferos. Todas las especies que habitan en la zona según los atlas generales de distribución fueron citadas por los participantes. Tanto el número de especies citadas como las observadas estuvieron correlacionadas positivamente con el tiempo que los participantes habían permanecido en el área. Nuestros resultados sugieren que los estudios basados en cuestionarios pueden proporcionar una buena visión general de la composición de las comunidades de mamíferos de áreas remotas del sur de Chile, pero también indican el reto que supone seleccionar participantes bien informados en estas áreas This study was funded by the agreement between Fundación Endesa, Fundación San Ignacio del Huinay and CSIC, and the Spanish Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales (project OAPN 352/2011). F. Díaz-Ruiz by a “Juan de la Cierva” research contract (FJCI-2015-24949) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness.

Knowing the distribution of expanding carnivore species is paramount for identifying and addressing potential human–wildlife conflicts. Occupancy models are useful tools to estimate the distribution and the probability of detection of wildlife species. In this study, we used these models with an empirical dataset to compare different survey methods and their combinations in order to optimize the estimated distribution in central Iberian Peninsula of the Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon), the only Herpestidae species occurring in Europe. In particular, we aimed to identify the most cost-effective (most accurate, with the lowest bias and cost) method or combination of methods. Sign surveys along transects on foot, hair-traps (baited and unbaited) and camera-traps were used as detection methods. We replicated these methods in 10 sampling units within four study zones in which the species was known to occur. We employed occupancy models to estimate the detection probability for each method in each zone, using covariates exclusively for detection probability, and made combinations of all methods. Camera-trapping was the most precise and least biased single method, followed by transects on foot. In contrast, both baited and unbaited hair-traps produced biased estimates of occupancy. However, camera-traps was the most costly method, whereas single unbaited hair-traps had the lowest cost. Our results demonstrate that the combination of several methods provides more precise and unbiased estimates of occupancy than those obtained from single methods. Even so, a biased method could contribute to improve the estimates if combined with other unbiased and precise methods. We recommend considering not only the precision and bias, but also the cost and effort required by each method to achieve the most cost-effective results in distribution studies of carnivore species., Conocer la distribución de las especies de carnívoros en expansión es fundamental para identificar y abordar posibles conflictos entre humanos y vida silvestre. Los modelos de ocupación son herramientas útiles para estimar la distribución y la probabilidad de detección de especies de vida silvestre. En este estudio, utilizamos estos modelos con un conjunto de datos empíricos para comparar diferentes métodos de prospección y sus combinaciones con el fin de optimizar la distribución estimada en el centro de la Península Ibérica de la mangosta egipcia ( Herpestes ichneumon), la única especie de Herpestidae presente en Europa. En particular, nuestro objetivo fue identificar el método o la combinación de métodos más rentable (más preciso, con el sesgo y el costo más bajos). Se utilizaron como métodos de detección estudios de señales a lo largo de transectos a pie, trampas de pelo (con y sin cebo) y cámaras trampa. Repetimos estos métodos en 10 unidades de muestreo dentro de cuatro zonas de estudio en las que se sabía que se encontraba la especie. Empleamos modelos de ocupación para estimar la probabilidad de detección de cada método en cada zona, usando covariables exclusivamente para la probabilidad de detección e hicimos combinaciones de todos los métodos. La cámara trampa fue el método individual más preciso y menos sesgado, seguido de los transectos a pie. Por el contrario, tanto las trampas para el pelo con cebo como las que no lo tenían produjeron estimaciones de ocupación sesgadas. Sin embargo, las cámaras trampa fueron el método más costoso, mientras que las trampas para el cabello sin cebo tuvieron el costo más bajo. Nuestros resultados demuestran que la combinación de varios métodos proporciona estimaciones de ocupación más precisas e imparciales que las obtenidas con métodos individuales. Aun así, un método sesgado podría contribuir a mejorar las estimaciones si se combina con otros métodos imparciales y precisos. Recomendamos considerar no solo la precisión y el sesgo, sino también el costo y el esfuerzo requerido por cada método para lograr los resultados más rentables en los estudios de distribución de especies de carnívoros. un método sesgado podría contribuir a mejorar las estimaciones si se combina con otros métodos precisos e imparciales. Recomendamos considerar no solo la precisión y el sesgo, sino también el costo y el esfuerzo requerido por cada método para lograr los resultados más rentables en los estudios de distribución de especies de carnívoros. un método sesgado podría contribuir a mejorar las estimaciones si se combina con otros métodos precisos e imparciales. Recomendamos considerar no solo la precisión y el sesgo, sino también el costo y el esfuerzo requerido por cada método para lograr los resultados más rentables en los estudios de distribución de especies de carnívoros.

Optimal foraging theory predicts that in situations of high prey abundance, predators will select the largest ones if the cost of capture is similar. This relationship is not clear in species of large owls. We aimed to evaluate the selection by the Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) of different body sizes of a profitable prey, the European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Evaluations were made in a semi-natural rabbit population with high rabbit availability (Los Melonares), and in two natural populations with different abundances of rabbit (low to high). In Los Melonares, we compared the size distribution of rabbits in the owl diet with the body size distribution of the rabbit population. In the natural populations, we compared the size of the rabbits in the owl diet with the abundance of rabbits. Results from Los Melonares showed that the Eagle Owl positively selected smaller rabbits (< 300 g) regardless of rabbits size distribution within the population throughout the year but such selection was only significant when the abundance of rabbits reached the highest levels. On the contrary, owls avoided rabbits belonging to the largest size class (> 900 g) throughout the year, being not significant in winter with low abundance of rabbits. In natural populations, smaller rabbits were included in the owl diet more frequently when rabbit abundance increased. Thus, Eagle Owl seemed to select the smallest rabbits, probably due to their higher vulnerability, ease of capture, their predictable location in areas surrounding warrens, and the lesser effort required to handle, consume and deliver to nestlings.

Protected areas recently created in Argentina often include previously degraded lands, such as sheep ranches in the Patagonian deserts. We show the results of a 14-year monitoring program of three formerly persecuted carnivores, the culpeo fox (Lycalopex culpaeus), the South American grey fox (Lycalopex griseus) and the puma (Puma concolor), in two abandoned sheep ranches that were incorporated into a Patagonian national park approximately 25 years ago. The culpeo fox population underwent an average annual decline of 10&ndash, 23%, whereas the grey fox and puma populations increased at an average annual rate of 7% and 19%, respectively. The grey fox&rsquo, s increasing trends were strongly correlated with the decline of the culpeo fox, whereas the correlations between the fox and puma trends were weaker. Culpeo fox decline was stronger in the ranch where sheep and predator controls had been removed earlier. These relationships between species trends support the competitive release hypothesis, assuming that puma competition with the culpeo fox for trophic resources is stronger than competition with the grey fox, and that the puma can exclude culpeo foxes through interference. Species trends suggest a competitive hierarchy between fox species, with grey fox being the inferior competitor. However, mechanisms other than competition could not be discounted. Our study illustrates how long-term monitoring of interacting species allows a better understanding of ecological processes and wildlife ecology.

The physiological significance of biometric body condition indices (bBCI) is poorly understood. We hypothesized that bBCI are composite metrics of nutritional physiology, physical fitness and health. To test this hypothesis, we first compared the performance of eight bBCI, using 434 Southern European carnivores from six species as a model system; and then identified, by non-destructive methods, the hematology and serum biochemistry correlates of three selected bBCI. Fulton’s K Index, Major Axis Regression Residuals and Scaled Mass Index were the only bBCI insensitive to the effect of sex and age. The most informative physiological parameters in explaining the variation of these bBCI were the albumin (Effect Size (ES) = − 1.66 to − 1.76), urea (ES = 1.61 to 1.85) and total bilirubin (ES = − 1.62 to − 1.79). Hemoglobin and globulins (positive) and cholesterol (negative) were moderately informative (0.9, This work was supported by Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha [Project PREG-05-23], Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and European Union-FEDER funds [Project CGL2009-10741]; Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales [Project OAPN352/2011]; Empreendimentos Eólicos do Vale do Minho S.A. and Associação para a Conservação do Habitat do Lobo Ibérico (ACHLI); Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia [grants SFRH/BPD/116596/2016 to N.S. and SFRH/BD/144087/2019 to M.N. and UID/BIA/50027/2019 to P.M.]; FCT/MCTES, through national funds, and the co-funding by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and Compete 2020 [cE3c—UIDB/00329/2020]; Juan de la Cierva research contracts from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Funder Id: 10.13039/501100004837 from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness [FJCI-2015-24949 to F.D.R.]; and the European Union H2020 [Project H2020 VACDIVA 862874 to J.A.B.].

Competition is a widespread interaction among carnivores, ultimately manifested through one or more dimensions of the species' ecological niche. One of the most explicit manifestations of competitive interactions regards spatial displacement. Its interpretation under a theoretical context provides an important tool to deepen our understanding of biological systems and communities, but also for wildlife management and conservation. We used Bayesian multispecies occupancy models on camera‐trapping data from multiple sites in Southwestern Europe (SWE) to investigate competitive interactions within a carnivore guild, and to evaluate how species' ecological traits are shaping coexistence patterns. Seventeen out of 26 pairwise interactions departed from a hypothesis of independent occurrence, with spatial association being twice as frequent as avoidance. Association behaviors were only detected among mesocarnivores, while avoidance mainly involved mesocarnivores avoiding the apex predator (n = 4) and mesocarnivore‐only interactions (n = 2). Body mass ratios, defined as the dominant over the subordinate species body mass, revealed an important negative effect ( βˆ=−0.38;CI95=−0.81𝑡𝑜−0.06 ) on co‐occurrence probability, and support that spatially explicit competitive interactions are mostly expressed by larger species able to dominate over smaller ones, with a threshold in body mass ratios of ~4, above which local‐scale intraguild coexistence is unlikely. We found a weak relationship between pairwise trophic niche overlap and the probability of coexistence ( βˆ=−0.19;CI95=−0.58𝑡𝑜0.21 ), suggesting that competition for feeding resources may not be a key driver of competition, at least at the scale of our analysis. Despite local‐scale avoidance, regional‐scale coexistence appears to be maintained by the spatial structuring of the competitive environment. We provide evidence that SWE ecosystems consist of spatially structured competitive environments, and propose that coexistence among near‐sized species is likely achieved through the interplay of “facultative” and “behavioral” character displacements. Factors influencing carnivore coexistence likely include context‐dependent density and trait‐mediated effects, which should be carefully considered for a sound understanding of the mechanisms regulating these communities., This study was funded by research projects CGL2009‐10741, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and EU‐FEDER, and OAPN 352/2011, funded by the Spanish Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales. P. Monterroso enjoyed a Ph.D. grant from the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) (ref: SFRH/BD/37795/2007) and a postdoctoral fellowship by EU‐FEDER funds through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors—COMPETE and by National Funds through FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology (ref: UID/BIA/50027/2013, POCI‐01‐0145‐FEDER‐006821). F. Díaz‐Ruiz enjoyed a research contract “Juan de la Cierva” (ref: FJCI‐2015‐24949) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness.

It is known that the garden dormouse Eliomys quercinus includes meat in its diet, however, it is unclear if scavenging is a widespread behaviour, as it is difficult to observe in the wild. Here, we document scavenging behaviour for the species based on direct evidence. We captured five garden dormice with live traps using dead baits, which were partially or totally consumed. Additionally, a camera-trap recorded how at least one garden dormouse visited and actively consumed the bait on 12 occasions during the study. These observations suggest that carrion may play an important role in the garden dormouse's diet, opening a new ecological unexplored topic for this species., This study was funded by projects TOPIGEPLA (Fundación BBVA Research Projects, 2014 call) and Movi-Topi (I + D National Plan Project, CGL2015-71255-P). F. Díaz-Ruiz was supported by a “Juan de la Cierva” research contract (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Funder Id: 10.13039/501100004837, FJCI-2015-24949) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness.

Currently, there are naturalized populations of feral pigeon (Columba livia var. domestica) worldwide with an estimated global population between 165 and 330 million individuals. Feral pigeons are adapted to urban environments, creating problems related to human health, damage to architectural structures, unpleasant soiling, and foul odors. Thus, local governments usually implement measures to reduce feral pigeon populations in cities to a suitable size. We monitored a feral pigeon trapping campaign to investigate the use of cage traps as control method in residential zones. We analyzed efficiency (daily capture rate), effectiveness (defined as the number of feral pigeons captured relative to the total number of potential pigeon captures), animal welfare, selectivity (the proportion of captured feral pigeons in relation to the total number of captured animals), and the effect on feral pigeon abundance. All procedures were conducted in compliance with current European and Spanish legislation. Overall efficiency was 0.25 feral pigeons/trap-day, effectiveness was 22.5%, and selectivity was 99.7%. Over the study period, there was a decreasing trend in abundances. A significant decrease was found in the relative abundances of feral pigeons after 2 months of extractions, and population abundances remained low up to the end of the extraction period. The use of cage traps was a useful and effective method to reduce local feral pigeon populations in isolated urban areas with low building density in which the feral pigeon population has not yet reached high densities., F. Díaz-Ruiz was supported by a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral contract (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Funder Id: 10.13039/501100004837, FJCI-2015- 24949) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness.

Carnivores are elusive, nocturnal and scarce, hence, their detection is difficult. Camera trapping has become a powerful non-invasive technique for collecting information on such elusive species. Some of its major applications are species inventories and community monitoring. Some efforts have been recently devoted to standardize protocols for monitoring mammal communities in tropical areas. Nevertheless, there is a lack of standardization across studies for monitoring carnivore communities in temperate areas. We aimed to optimize camera-trapping protocols for monitoring mesocarnivore communities in Mediterranean areas, minimizing sampling effort to accurately estimate species richness. For this purpose, we assessed the effect of number of cameras, time they remain active, area covered and spatial arrangement on species richness estimates. We used between 50 and 60 camera-traps combined with generalist scent attractants in two national parks located in central Spain. We generated random sets of 5–40 cameras and evaluated the accumulated richness between 1 and 30 days since deployment. Generalized linear model analysis indicates that active days, number of cameras, covered area and study area best explained species richness. A minimum of 30 active cameras during 20 days were required for attaining the asymptotical species richness. A larger effort was required to detect all species in the study area with higher species richness (six vs. five species). These results agree with the effort required for obtaining at least one camera image of those species with the lowest detection rates. Scattered deployments required less effort (number of cameras) to reach an asymptote of species richness than clumped layouts, although differences were not significant. These findings can be used as guidelines for monitoring mesocarnivore communities with camera-traps in temperate areas, although particular monitoring requirements will depend on the community composition and density of mesocarnivore species present in a given study area., This study was funded by Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales, project OAPN 352/2011. F. Díaz‐Ruiz enjoyed a postdoctoral contract funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and Junta de Comunidades de Castilla‐La Mancha (Operational Programme FSE 2007/2013). P. Monterroso was granted a postdoctoral fellowship by the project ‘Genomics Applied to Genetic Resources’ cofinanced by North Portugal Regional Operational Programme 2007/2013 (ON.2 – O Novo Norte), under the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF), through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Cage-trapping is one of the control methods frequently used by hunters to remove red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Spain, although its low efficiency and selectivity have been frequently reported. We tested the effect of the combinations of two bait types (live/ dead) and two scent attractants (fox urine/valerian extract) in order to improve the efficiency and selectivity of cage traps in central Spain. The combination of live bait and fox urine increased the efficiency of cage traps to capture red foxes in comparison with live bait alone. None of the experimental treatments led to a significant reduction in the capture rate of non-Target species, selectivity levels were always low (0%-21%) and non-Target species were captured. In view of that, the burden of releasing captured non-Target animals depends ultimately on the trapper. For this reason, the use of cage traps is still questionable for managing foxes in Spain., Castilla-La Mancha Regional Government; code numbers 02-227/RN-52 and PREG-05-23.

[Context]: Camera trapping is commonly employed for studying carnivores because it provides better data than do other methods, and with lower costs. Increasing the probability of detecting the target species can reduce parameter uncertainty and survey effort required to estimate density and occurrence. Different methods, including attractants and baits, can be used to increase detectability. However, their efficacy has rarely been quantitatively assessed. [Aims]: To quantify the efficacy of scent and bait attractants to increase the detection probability of mesocarnivores by camera trapping. [Methods]: We tested two scent lures, valerian extract (Val) and lynx urine (LU), their combination (Val-LU), and a non-reward bait (i.e. not accessible to the animal), raw chicken, as carnivore attractants in two protected areas of central Spain. We used camera-trapping records under an occupancy-modelling framework to estimate attractant-specific detection probabilities for six mesocarnivore species, and quantified their effects by comparing these estimates with the baseline (i.e. no attractant) detectability. [Key results]: The weekly detection probability of four mesocarnivore species (red fox, Vulpes vulpes, stone marten, Martes foina, common genet, Genetta genetta, and Eurasian badger, Meles meles) significantly increased when Val-LU (between 0.11±0.07 and 0.67±0.05) or chicken (between 0.31±0.02 and 0.77±0.22) were used as attractant, when compared with baseline detectability (between 0.01±0.02 and 0.29±0.05). Although rarely, wildcats (Felis silvestris) were mostly detected with Val-LU. The probability of detecting a species after k sampling occasions (7 days each) where it was present was highly improved with both Val-LU and chicken for all species (e.g. from 0.20 to 0.98 after four sampling occasions with chicken for the stone marten). Both attractants reduced the sampling time required to ascertain that a species was absent to between 42% and 15% of baseline values. [Conclusions]: The tested attractants greatly improved the detectability of most Iberian mesocarnivores. Although chicken was preferable for some species such as stone marten, Val-LU is most efficient for detecting the whole mesocarnivore community, including rare species such as wildcats. [Implications]: Attractant selection in studies using non-invasive detection methods must be supported by quantitative assessment of the detection probability associated to each attractant. Researchers must choose those attractants best fitting target species and study aims., This study was funded by Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales, project OAPN 352/2011. F. Díaz-Ruiz was supported by a Juan de laCierva postdoctoral contract (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Funder Id: 10.13039/501100004837, FJCI-2015-24949) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness). P. Monterroso was granted a postdoctoral fellowship by the project ‘Genomics Applied to Genetic Resources’ co-financed by North Portugal Regional Operational Program 2007/2013 (ON.2 – O Novo Norte), under the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF), through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The interactions between animals and their environment vary across species, regions, but also with gender. Sex-specific relations between individuals and the ecosystem may entail different behavioral choices and be expressed through different patterns of habitat use. Regardless, only rarely sex-specific traits are addressed in ecological modeling approaches. The European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is a species of conservation concern in Europe, with a highly fragmented and declining distribution across most of its range. We assessed sex-specific habitat selection patterns for the European wildcat, at the landscape and home range levels, across its Iberian biogeographic distribution using a multipopulation approach. We developed resource selection functions in a use-availability framework using radio-telemetry data from five wildcat populations. At the landscape level, we observed that, while both genders preferentially established home ranges in areas close to broadleaf forests and far from humanized areas, females selected mid-range elevation areas with some topographic complexity, whereas males used lowland areas. At the home range level, both females and males selected areas dominated by scrublands or broadleaf forests, but habitat features were less important at this level. The strength of association to habitat features was higher for females at both spatial levels, suggesting a tendency to select habitats with higher quality that can grant them enhanced access to shelter and feeding resources. Based on our results, we hypothesize that sex-biased behavioral patterns may contribute to the resilience of wildcats' genetic integrity through influencing the directionality of hybridization with domestic cats. Our study provides information about European wildcats' habitat use in an Iberian context, relevant for the implementation of conservation plans, and highlights the ecological relevance of considering sex-related differences in environmental preferences., This work was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship to PM by FEDER funds through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors—COMPETE and by National Funds through FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology (grant numbers UID/BIA/50027/2013, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006821); and by a research contract “Juan de la Cierva” to FD-R (grant number FJCI-2015-24949) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness.

The least weasel (Mustela nivalis Linnaeus, 1766) is the world’s smallest carnivore (King & Powell 2007) and probably one of the most difficult to detect (García & Mateos 2009). It is widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere (McDonald et al. 2016), and seems to be a common and relatively abundant species, at least in some areas of the European continent (Larivière & Jennins 2009, Tikhonov et al. 2010). However, many basic aspects of its biology, distribution, population dynamics and ecology remain largely unknown in most areas of its range, a lack of information that is especially striking in Spain (Palazón 2017)., Julio Domínguez was supported by a predoctoral grant: “Programa Talento Formación” funded by Fondo Social Europeo (FSE) and Castilla La Mancha regional government (JCCM). Francisco Díaz-Ruiz was supported by a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral contract (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Funder Id: 10.13039/501100004837, FJCI-2015-24949) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness. Financial support was provided by MINECO (CGL2011-30274, CGL2015-71255-P), Fundación Biodiversidad and Fundación BBVA (TOPIGEPLA).

[ES]: Actualmente se desconoce la presencia y distribución de los mamíferos en muchos lugares remotos, pese a que suelen ser lugares ricos en biodiversidad. El objetivo de este trabajo fue caracterizar la comunidad de mamíferos terrestres de la Reserva de Huinay, sur de Chile, mediante tres metodologías: i) encuestas a residentes y visitantes de la zona (n=42); ii) transectos de indicios (excrementos, huellas, etc; se recorrieron 80 km en total); y iii) foto-trampeo (se colocaron 18 cámaras-trampa con un esfuerzo total de 590 trampas-día). Se identificaron 13 especies de mamíferos terrestres. El pudú (Pudu puda), la güiña (Leopardus guigna) y el quique (Galictis cuja) fueron las únicas identificadas mediante los tres métodos. Nuestros resultados sugieren que diferentes metodologías pueden ser complementarias para determinar la presencia y distribución de las especies en áreas remotas., [EN]: The presence and distribution of mammals in remote areas are currently poorly known, although these areas are usually rich in biodiversity. The main objective of this study was to characterize the terrestrial mammal community within the reserve of Huinay, southern Chile, using three methodologies: i) questionnaires to residents and visitors to the area (n=42); ii) transects of mammals’ presence (scats, tracks, etc; the total length of transects was 80 km); iii) camera-trapping (18 camera-traps were set with a total sampling effort of 590 trap-days). A total of 13 species of mammals were identified, and only three of them (pudu, Pudu puda, kodkod, Leopardus guigna and lesser grison, Galictis cuja) were recorded with all the methods employed. Our results suggest that different methodologies can complement each other for surveying species presence and distribution in remote areas., Este estudio ha sido financiado por el acuerdo entre la Fundación Endesa, Fundación San Ignacio del Huinay y el CSIC. M. Delibes-Mateos está financiado actualmente por la Consejería de Economía, Innovación, Ciencia y Empleo de la Junta de Andalucía y el 7º programa marco de la Unión Europea para investigación, desarrollo tecnológico y demostración bajo el acuerdo 267226. J. Caro tuvo un contrato postdoctoral financiado por la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha y el FSE en el marco del programa operacional FSE 20072013.

The European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus was designated as a protected species in Spain and Portugal following sharp declines in many populations. The ongoing decline highlights the need to implement cost-effective management strategies for this staple prey and important small game species of Iberian Mediterranean ecosystems. Habitat management is one strategy in general use, though little is known about its true influence on rabbit populations. The main goal of this study was to assess the frequency of use and cost-effectiveness of habitat management techniques for European rabbit populations in the Iberian Peninsula. We conducted a thorough literature review and used this information to: (i) estimate the frequency of use of habitat management techniques; (ii) evaluate the relative and absolute effectiveness of habitat management; and (iii) assess the economic implications of its application. At least one habitat management technique was used on over 60% of hunting estates. The relative effectiveness (measured as the % population change before and after management) of habitat management techniques is high, although we found no relationship between high relative effectiveness and rabbit densities considered biologically and/or economically meaningful (e.g. densities able to support a breeding population of endangered predators or medium to high rabbit harvest yields). We did not find any clear relationship between the cost and the effectiveness of the habitat management techniques applied, as the most costly techniques were not the most successful ones. We conclude that rabbit management strategies in the Iberian Peninsula should include improved and upscaled protocols for habitat management, in order to mitigate threats and promote the recovery of rabbit populations.

Daily activity patterns in mammals depend on food availability, reproductive stage, habitat selection, intraspecific interactions and predation risk, among other factors. Some mammals exhibit behavioral plasticity in activity patterns, which allows them to adapt to environmental changes. A good example of this can be found in the red fox Vulpes vulpes. This species is adapted to living in highly humanized environments, where it is often culled because it may affect human interests (e.g. through the consumption of game species or livestock). We assessed the potential main drivers of the daily activity patterns of the red fox in 12 Iberian Mediterranean areas through the use of camera traps. Among drivers, we considered main prey availability (European wild rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus), degree of human disturbance (e.g. distance to human settlements, and intensity of predator control) and habitat structure. Our results revealed a predominantly crepuscular and nocturnal activity of foxes with local variations. Although overall fox activity increased with rabbit availability, the temporal overlap with prey activity was on average low, because foxes increased activity when rabbits decreased theirs (twilight-night). Red fox activity rhythms seemed to be determined by human presence where human disturbance is high. In addition, diurnal activity decreased in areas with higher levels of human disturbance (closer to human settlements and high predator control intensity) and increased in dense habitats. Our study shows that daily activity patterns of highly adaptable species are determined by several interacting drivers, resulting in complex behavioral patterns. This suggests that further ecological studies should consider different factors simultaneously for a better understanding of daily activity patterns of wildlife in different landscapes., This study was funded by projectsCGL2009-10741 (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and EU-FEDER funds); HUNTing for Sustainability(212160, FP7-ENV-2007-1), and OAPN352/2011 (Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales, Spain). F. Díaz-Ruiz and J. Caro enjoyed postdoctoral contracts financedby the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (Operational Programme FSE 2007/2013). M. Delibes-Mateos is currently funded by Consejería de Economía, Innovación, Ciencia y Empleo of Junta de Andalucía, and the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement 267226.

How foraging behaviour of predators is influenced by prey abundance is often not clear. Predators may behave as generalist or specialist depending on the relationship between the predator feeding behaviour and prey abundance, known as functional response. The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a key species for most Iberian vertebrate predators, especially for large raptors such as the eagle owl (Bubo bubo). The eagle owl functional response was analysed in central Iberian Peninsula by fitting different models (null, linear, two asymptotic and two sigmoidal models) between rabbit abundance and rabbit consumption by the eagle owl. Rabbit consumption increased as did its abundance until reaching an asymptote. Rabbit-consumed biomass better fitted to a type II functional response (convex, typical of specialist predators), whereas rabbit frequency in eagle owl diet better fitted to a type III functional response (sigmoidal, typical of generalist predators). Trophic diversity increased as rabbit abundance decreased. The consumption of other prey, such as Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) and medium-size birds (mainly galliformes and columbiformes), increased as rabbit abundance decreased. The eagle owl is highly dependent on rabbits in central Spain, even at low rabbit abundance. In this situation, the eagle owl diversifies its diet, making it difficult to define the eagle owl as a specialist or as a generalist predator. Therefore, the eagle owl in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula should be rather considered as a facultative predator on wild rabbits., This study is a partial result of CGL2005–02340, CGL2009–10741, and CGL2013-43197 projects, from I+D National Plan funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and EU–FEDER funds. J. Fernandez-de-Simon benefitted from a FPI PhD scholarship (BES–2006–12562) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the European Social Fund. J. Fernandez-de-Simon and F. Diaz-Ruiz are currently holding a postdoctoral fellowship from Junta de Castilla-La Mancha and the European Social Fund (Operational Programme FSE 2007/2013).

Biogeographical diversity is central to the trophic ecology of predators. Under- standing the biogeographical trophic patterns of generalist predators, such as the red fox Vulpes vulpes, is particularly challenging because of their wide distribu- tions, broad trophic spectra and high ecological plasticity, which often generate conflicts with humans. 2. We reviewed 55 studies from the Iberian Peninsula concerning the diet of the red fox to describe its trophic patterns from a biogeographical perspective. 3. We considered the frequency of occurrence of seven food groups and charac- terized each study site according to environmental variables. We tested relation- ships between geographical variables and each food group independently, and assessed the consumption of lagomorphs in relation to the other food groups. We also tested the relationships between trophic diversity, the main food groups, lati- tude and altitude, and finally investigated changes in the consumption of all food groups in relation to habitat type and seasonality. 4. We found a latitudinal pattern in the diet of the red fox, which was character- ized by a greater consumption of lagomorphs and invertebrates in southern areas, and a higher intake of small mammals and fruits/seeds in northern regions. Addi- tionally, the consumption of invertebrates increased from east to west, while fruit/ seed consumption increased from west to east. Consumption of lagomorphs decreased, and of small mammals increased, with altitude. Trophic diversity was not associated with geographical variables. The intake of lagomorphs and small mammals was greatest in Mediterranean scrub and forest, respectively. Reptiles and invertebrates were consumed mostly during summer; fruits/seeds in autumn. 5. Iberian red foxes show variation in their feeding habits associated with envi- ronmental variables, which are in turn associated with the availability of their main prey. Foxes select rabbits where they are abundant, and feed on small mammals and fruits/seeds where lagomorphs are scarce. bs_bs_banner

The European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus is a key species in Mediterranean ecosystems of the Iberian Peninsula, and reliable methods for monitoring its abundance are urgently required. Although clearance plot pellet counts may be useful in monitoring rabbit populations, such counts are potentially affected by variation in the persistence of rabbit pellets. The aim of our study was to assess persistence of rabbit pellets in the Iberian Peninsula for reliable estimates of rabbit abundance from clearance plot counts. We carried out the experiment from July 2006 to November 2007 at seven localities in central southern Spain. Marked fresh pellets were monthly placed at experimental plots, and their persistence was monitored monthly. Persistence was estimated from the proportion of marked pellets remaining between consecutive counts. Independent variables in analysis included slope steepness, vegetation, rabbit and ungulate activity, meteorology and temporal variables. Persistence significantly varied among localities and seasons and with their interaction. The final model showed that pellet persistence was best explained by total rainfall between counts, and also included the time between visits and slope steepness and the interactions rainfall*time between visits and rainfall*slope. Our results suggest that estimating pellet persistence for each locality and season is necessary to make estimates obtained from different localities and months comparable. In the Mediterranean region, early summer at the start of the dry season would be the recommended time for yearly rabbit monitoring based on any pellet-count index, since reduced rainfall favours pellet persistence. Sampling protocols must standardise the number of days between counts, and plots must be established in areas with gentle slope to maximise pellet persistence between counts., Our work is a partial result from the I+D National Plan Projects CGL2005-02340 and CGL2009-10741, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and EU-FEDER funds. J. Fernandez-de-Simon benefits from a FPI scholarship funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the European Social Fund. M. Delibes-Mateos is currently holding a Juan de la Cierva research contract awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the European Social Fund.

Black-billed magpies (Pica pica) are considered as a nest predator of game and non-game birds in Europe. In rural areas of Spain magpie control is commonly used as a management tool in small game hunting estates. Cage-traps with a magpie as a decoy are the legal method most commonly used for controlling magpies in Spain although its performance has not yet been experimentally tested. We evaluated the selectivity, efficiency, and the effect of different factors on capture rate of these traps for magpie control and determine the effect of magpie removal on magpie density. Only four out of 197 captures corresponded to non-target species, which were released unharmed. Since the release of non-target captures depends on the daily checking of the trap and the trapper commitment, in order to guarantee the efficiency and selectivity of this method traps should be revised daily by full time, qualified trappers. The efficiency of this method is high during the breeding season, reducing magpie density in the area where the control is performed. Highest capture rates were obtained in the first days after cage-traps setting. Neither the gender nor the origin (local or foreign) of the decoy significantly affected the capture rate. Among male decoys, experimentally increased testosterone levels did not increase capture rates. According to our results, the tested cage-traps with a living decoy could be employed as an efficient and selective method for magpie population management in Spain, when used by full time, qualified trappers., This study was funded by Consejería de Medio Ambiente of Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (project PREG-05-23).

Widespread generalist predators may affect declining keystone prey populations. However, this phenomenon is not well understood. In this paper, we assessed whether the abundance and population growth of European rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, a keystone prey species in Mediterranean Iberia, was related to the abundance and diet of red foxes, Vulpes vulpes, a widespread generalist predator. In a locality in central Spain, where rabbit population abundance declined, we estimated rabbit abundance during almost 3 years and determined fox abundance and diet during two concurrent years. We calculated a fox predation index (percentage of consumed rabbit biomass × fox abundance) to assess the importance of rabbits to foxes. We employed a multi–model approach to explain rabbit abundance and population growth. Foxes consumed between 60 and 99 % rabbit biomass in their diets, and this was independent of rabbit abundance. Periods of higher fox predation index coincided with lower rabbit density and vice versa. Two models best explained rabbit abundance and four rabbit population growth. They included the fox predation index and its interaction with rabbit abundance during the previous month. Altogether, fox predation, intraspecific density dependence, and their interaction partly explained rabbit population dynamics. We conclude that in order to propel the recovery of the rabbit in Iberia, it is essential to better understand the role of these factors in driving the abundance of the species., This is a partial result from the I+D National Plan Projects CGL2005-02340, CGL2009-10741 and CGL2013-43197, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and EU FEDER funds. JFdS benefitted from a FPI PhD scholarship (BES- 2006-12562) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the European Social Fund. J. Fernandez-de-Simon and F. Díaz-Ruiz are currently holding a postdoctoral fellowship from Junta de Castilla-La Mancha and the European Social Fund (Operational Programme FSE 2007/2013). M. Delibes-Mateos is currently funded by Junta de Andalucía and the EU FP7, under grant agreement 267226.

[Capsule]: Feeding habits of the Black-billed Magpie are of interest for researchers, conservationists and hunters since magpies are considered as predators of eggs and chicks of both songbirds and gamebirds. [Aims]: To characterize the feeding habits of magpies during their breeding season in agricultural environments of central Spain, and to assess the occurrence and incidence of birds and eggs in the magpie's diet. [Methods]: Diet was determined by the analysis of gizzard contents from 118 culled magpies. The diet was described as the frequency of occurrence (FO) and the percentage of volume (VOL) of a certain food item and for each gizzard. [Results]: Magpies presented a generalist diet, which included a wide range of foods. Arthropods and cereal seeds were the most frequently consumed food groups (FO > 60%). Eggs and birds were consumed only occasionally (FO < 6% and 17%, respectively; percentage of volume, VOL < 4%). [Conclusion]: Our findings suggest that other birds and their eggs do not represent an important food for magpies in Mediterranean agricultural environments under the conditions found during this study. Nevertheless, more complex studies in different scenarios (i.e. different population sizes of magpies and prey), and over longer temporal scales, are still necessary to clarify this controversial issue., The study was funded by Consejería de Medio Ambiente of Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (Project PREG-05-23). F. Díaz-Ruiz holds a postdoctoral contract financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (Operational Programme FSE 2007/2013). M. Delibes-Mateos is supported by the Talentia Postdoc Program launched by the Andalusian Knowledge Agency, co-funded by the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program, Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (COFUND – Grant Agreement n° 267226) and the Ministry of Economy, Innovation, Science and Employment of the Junta de Andalucía.

The guiña (Leopardus guigna) is a small felid found primarily in temperate mixed forests of southern Andean and coastal ranges in Chile and Argentina. It is considered a vulnerable species, and is one of the least studied felids in the world. In this study our main aim was to document the relationship between the activity pattern of the guiña and that of its main prey in the Valdivian rainforest (Comau Fjord, southern Chile) using a camera-trap survey. We documented the activity patterns of small mammals and two ground-foraging bird species, as these have been previously cited as the main prey of this felid. Guiñas showed two nocturnal activity peaks, at the beginning and the end of the night, and a weak peak of activity at midday. Small mammals consistently revealed nocturnal activity, whereas both birds were strongly diurnal. Our results revealed a high overlap between the activity patterns of guiñas and small mammals, whereas this was negligible for the bird species. These findings support the idea that small mammals are guiñas' preferred prey in the Valdivian rainforest. Our study contributes to the understanding of the temporal relationships between the guiña and its prey, and may help to design effective management strategies to conserve this vulnerable felid., This study was funded by the agreement between Fundación Endesa, Fundación San Ignacio del Huinay and CSIC, and the Spanish Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales (project OAPN 352/2011). M. Delibes-Mateos was supported a JAE-doc contract (Programa Junta para la Ampliación de Estudios), funded by CSIC and the European Social Fund and J. Caro had a postdoctoral contract jointly financed by the ESF and the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM, Spain), in the framework of the Operational Programme FSE 2007–2013.

[ES]: La gestión de los depredadores generalistas en España se basa en el control directo de sus poblaciones, siendo una práctica ampliamente extendida dentro del ámbito cinegético que genera gran controversia entre diferentes grupos sociales. A pesar de esto, los esfuerzos dedicados al estudio de los diferentes aspectos relacionados con esta práctica son escasos. El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido revisar los estudios científico-técnicos realizados hasta la fecha en nuestro país sobre esta actividad para describir cuál es el estado de conocimientos actual. El aspecto más estudiado hasta la fecha ha sido la evaluación de los métodos de captura. Métodos tradicionales como las jaulas-trampas para zorros son poco eficaces y poco selectivos, mientras que nuevos sistemas más eficaces y selectivos, como la trampa Collarum, parecen ser una alternativa aceptable. Sin embargo es escasa la información científica disponible sobre el efecto del control sobre las poblaciones de los propios depredadores, sus presas y otras especies. Según esta información las medidas habitualmente empleadas no tienen un efecto claro sobre las poblaciones de zorro, mientras que las poblaciones de urraca parecen reducirse a corto plazo. En el caso de las presas parecen reaccionar de forma positiva al control, aunque los resultados no son contundentes. Hay indicios de que otras especies de depredadores se pueden ver afectados por el control, sobre todo cuando este no es selectivo. Es necesario un mayor esfuerzo de investigación en este campo que contribuya a una gestión sostenible y respetuosa con otras especies en los cotos de caza., [EN]: Management of generalist predators in Spain is mainly based on direct population control with different wildlife management purposes. This generates a great controversy among different social groups. Predator control is a widespread practice in game management, red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and black-billed magpie (Pica pica) being the main target species. Despite this, efforts to study different aspects of this practice are scarce. The aim of this study was to review the available scientific and technical studies about this activity in Spain, in order to describe the current state of knowledge. The evaluation of trapping methods for foxes and magpies was the most studied topic. Traditional methods such as cage-traps for foxes have low efficiency and low selectivity, while more selective new systems such as the Collarum trap could be an acceptable alternative. Cage-traps for magpies showed high efficiency and selectivity, at least in agricultural landscapes. However, there is little information available on the effects of control measures on the populations of predators, prey and other species. Existing evidence suggests that the effect of predator control on fox populations is not clear, while magpie populations seem to be reduced in the short term. Similarly, it is not clear whether prey populations increase as a result of predator control. There is evidence that other predator species may be affected by control measures, especially when they are not selective. Greater efforts are needed in this field of research in order to contribute to a sustainable management in hunting estates, respecting non-target species., Este trabajo ha sido posible gracias al proyecto 352/2011, financiado por el OAPN.