Living on the edge: assessing the extinction risk of critically endangered Bonelli's eagle in Italy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The population of Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata) has declined drastically throughout its European range due to habitat degradation and unnatural elevated mortality. There are less than 1500 breeding pairs accounted for in Europe, and the species is currently catalogued as Critically Endangered in Italy, where the 22 territories of Sicily, represent nearly 95% of the entire Italian population. However, despite national and European conservation concerns, the species currently lacks a specific conservation plan, and no previous attempts to estimate the risk of extinction have been made.

Methodology/principal findings

We incorporated the most updated demographic information available to assess the extinction risk of endangered Bonelli's eagle in Italy through a Po

SUBMITTER: Lopez-Lopez P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3360590 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature