CHALLENGES FOR EX-SITU MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION OF CROWNED EAGLES IN ARGENTINA

CHALLENGES FOR EX-SITU MANAGEMENT AND
        CONSERVATION OF CROWNED EAGLES IN
                   ARGENTINA
Miguel D. Saggese
The Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences,
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843-4467, USA. msaggese@cvm.tamu.edu

Roberto Pereyra Lobos
Departamento de Áreas Naturales Protegidas. Dirección de Recursos Naturales Renovables, Mendoza, Argentina

Andrés Capdevielle, Ramiro Rodríguez
Zoológico de Buenos Aires and Fundación Bioandina, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Juan Carlos Chébez, Agustin Quaglia, Marcelo Cavicchia
Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara, Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y Antropología.
CEBBAD – Universidad Maimónides, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Adrián DiGiácomo, EugenioCoconier
Departamento de Conservación, Aves Argentinas/Asociación Ornitológica del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Elba Pescetti Laboratorio de Ornitología, IADIZA-CONICET, Mendoza- Argentina

Jorge Anfuso
Centro Güira Oga, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina

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Crowned Eagle
                 Harpyhaliaetus coronatus
ƒ   Aguila coronada
ƒ   Aguila llorona
ƒ   Aguila copetuda
ƒ   Coronada grande
ƒ   Taguató hoví
ƒ   Aguila de la flecha
ƒ   Aguila zimbuda
ƒ   Aguila silbadora             Adult               Young

ƒ Orden Accipitriformes, Familia Accipitridae,
  sub-familia Buteoninae (Amadon 1982)

ƒ Largest raptor in non-forested areas of north and central
  Argentina                                                   2

Crowned Eagle
ƒ Central and northern Argentina, southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and
  eastern Bolivia

ƒ Internationally classified as endangered (Birdlife International 2004, UICN
  2006)

ƒ One of the most endangered raptor species in Argentina

ƒ Less than 1000 individuals globally

ƒ Considered extinct in several areas where its presence was recorded in the
  past

ƒ Information about its biology and natural history is scarce

ƒ Large territories to live and find prey of medium to large size
                                                                           3

ƒ   Habitat
    ƒ   Lowland areas of semi-open seasonal dry country (palm-savanna, sparse
        woodland, steppes with bushes), Chaco and campo cerrado (from campo limpo
        to cerrado sensu stricto)

    ƒ   Moderate altitude hill-ranges in south-east Brazil and Argentina and has also
        been reported in Caatinga, gallery forest, marsh and buriti groves

ƒ   Food
    ƒ   Mammals
    ƒ   Birds
    ƒ   Reptiles
    ƒ   Carrion

ƒ   Behavior
    ƒ   Partially crepuscular
    ƒ   Not shy
    ƒ   Perches sides of roads

                                                                               4

Distribution of the Endangered Crowned Eagle in
Argentina

Records in 16 provinces

                                     Category: Endangered (EN) U.I.C.N
                                     Criteria: C2 a(i)
                                     Estimated population: 250 – 999 individuals
                                     Population Tendence: descending
                                     Estimated distribution: 3.179.000 km2

                                                                           5

Distribution of the Endangered Crowned Eagle in
Argentine IBAs (Important Bird Areas)

Pink: Distribution of Crowned Eagle
Green: IBAs with presence of the species
Records in 16 provinces

Core distribution Chaco, Formosa, Cordoba, La
Pampa, Salta, Santiago del estero, Santa Fe and San
Luis provinces with 53 IBAs.

                                              Category: Endangered (EN) U.I.C.N
                                              Criteria: C2 a(i)
                                              Estimated population: 250 – 999 individuals
                                              Population Tendence: descending
                                              Estimated distribution: 3.179.000 km2

  DiGiácomo, Coconier & DiGiácomo – Aves Argentinas/Birdlife International          6

Breeding ecology
ƒ Little studied

ƒ Small number of nests found
   ƒ La Pampa, Mendoza, Santa Fe

ƒ Caldenes (Prosopis sp.)
ƒ Algarrobos (Acacia sp.)
ƒ Eucalyptus sp.

ƒ Monk parakeet (Myopsitta monacha) nests

                                            7

Breeding ecology
•   Long post-fledgling period

•   Breeding each two yers

•   Current studies on breeding and feeding ecology
     – La Pampa province
         • (JJ Maceda, JH Sarasola et al., - CECARA)
     – Mendoza province - Teltecas Natural Reserve
         • R. Pereyra, R. Rodriguez et al., Recursos Naturales

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Threats
ƒ Habitat loss/fragmentation
    ƒ   Agriculture
    ƒ Charcoal
    ƒ Fires
    ƒ Lodging
    ƒ Mechanized agriculture
    ƒ Intensive cattle-ranching
ƒ Scarcicity of protected areas
ƒ Direct persecution
ƒ Electrocution
ƒ Pesticides/Poisoning?
ƒ Prey reduction?
                                  Courtesy JH Sarasola-CECARA
ƒ Illegal commerce?
ƒ Diseases?
                                                                10

Education

Teltecas Wildlife Refuge-Mendoza province, Argentina
                                                       11

Education
ƒEducation plan for Crowned Eagle Conservation in Bosques Teltecas Wildlife Refuge,
Mendoza province, Argentina.

    ƒPereyra Lobos, R., Muñoz, L., Mayorga, S., Rodríguez, R.

ƒEducation program of Buenos Aires Zoo
 and Fundación Bioandina, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

    ƒCapdevielle, A., Rodríguez, R., Palito, N., et al.            Poster by E. De Lucca
                                                                   Picture: A. Chiappe

ƒEducation programs at CRICYT-Mendoza

    ƒProf. Pescetti, E.

                                                                                         12

Bosque Telteca - Mendoza

                           13

Soon to be gone…

Endangered species in Argentina

By Juan Carlos Chebez

                                  14

Education

Zoo Buenos Aires & Fundacion Bioandina

                                         15

Guidelines for the housing, management, handling and
           biomedical sampling of captive crowned eagles
(Saggese, Quaglia and Argibay)

                          Iguazu, Misiones province, Argentina, June 2006
                                                                                16
                        Workshop: Handling and biomedical sampling of raptors

REHABILITATION
ƒGuira Oga, Jorge and Silvia Anfuso, Misiones

ƒZoo Buenos Aires & Fundación Bioandina

                                                17

REHABILITATION

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OTHER ACTIVITIES…
ƒCollect information about the species

ƒProposal to declare it National Monument

ƒLegal status and law relating raptors in Argentina

ƒRound table during the 1st SAICR (Argentine
Raptors Conservation and Research Symposium)

ƒForocoronada (List serv)

          Aguilacoronada_suscribe@yahoogroups.com

Quaglia, Cavicchia & Pereyra Lobos

                                                      19

ƒ Identification of museum skins and captive crowned eagles worldwide
  (Saggese, Quaglia, Cavicchia and Rodriguez)

                                                                        20

Captive Crowned Eagles in Argentina Cavicchia, Quaglia & Pereyra
                           Depositario                  Province   Juv   Subad   Adult   Unk        Sex

 1   Zoo America                         Buenos Aires                                     x

 2   Guira-oga, Misiones                 Misiones                                  x                M?

 3   Guira-oga, Misiones                 Misiones                                  x                F?

 4   Zoo mendoza, Mendoza                Mendoza (Died)             x

 5   Zoo mendoza, Mendoza                Mendoza (Died)                            x

 6   Zoo mendoza, Mendoza                Mendoza                                   x

 7   Zoo mendoza, Mendoza                Mendoza                                   x

 8   Zoo mendoza, Mendoza                Mendoza                                   x

 9   Zoo Saenz Peña, Chaco               Chaco                                     x

10   Zoo privado, Santiago del Estero    Santiago del Estero                              x

11   Roca, Rio Negro                     Rio Negro                                        x

12   Criadero, Buenos Aires              Buenos Aires                              x

13   Zoo San Rafael, Mendoza             Mendoza                                   x

14   Zoo San Rafael, Mendoza             Mendoza                                   x

15   San Juan                            San Juan                                         x

16   Guira-oga, Misiones                 Misiones                                  x

17   Zoo tatu carreta                    Cordoba                                   x
                                                                                               21
18   Zoo tatu carreta                    Cordoba                                   x

CROWNED EAGLE IN CAPTIVITY

ƒ Commonly presented to rehabilitation centers and zoos

ƒ Recovery and release to the wild of these birds is sometimes
  possible, but many of them are not able to be fully rehabilitated

ƒ More than twenty crowned eagles live in captivity in different
  rehabilitation centers and zoos of Argentina

ƒ Used for ex-situ conservation programs
   ƒ   Rehabilitation
   ƒ   Captive breeding
   ƒ   Biomedical studies
   ƒ   Education
   ƒ   Recovery programs

                                                               22

Health status evaluation of captive and free ranging crowned eagles
(Saggese & Quaglia in collaboration with research groups from La Pampa and Mendoza provinces)

     ƒHematology

     ƒClinical biochemistry

     ƒPlasma protein electrophoresis

     ƒPlasma cholinesterase levels

     ƒInfectious and parasitic diseases

     ƒGenetics

     ƒReproduction

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CROWNED EAGLES IN
CAPTIVITY

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Conservation Measures Proposed
ƒ In-situ
  ƒ   Survey to identify key populations
  ƒ   Study ecological constraints
  ƒ   Study mortality (why the species disappear)
  ƒ   Breeding success and migration/dispersal patterns
  ƒ   Population trends and dynamics
  ƒ   IBAs monitoring
  ƒ   Habitat conservation
  ƒ   Develop action plans for conservation at province,
       national and regional level (BirdLife criteria)
  ƒ   Build local capacity for conservation
  ƒ   Enforce legal protection of the species
  ƒ   Intensify educational programs
  ƒ   Organize awareness campaigns to limit hunting
       near key populations
  ƒ   Monitoring
  ƒ   Economical, cultural and social shifts               26

Conservation Measures Proposed
ƒ Ex-situ
  ƒ   Recovery and rehabilitation of injured eagles
  ƒ   Welfare
  ƒ   Biomedical studies
  ƒ   Educational activities
  ƒ   Genetic diversity
  ƒ   Management
  ƒ   Captive breeding
  ƒ   Reintroduction
  ƒ   Translocation (pre-release care)
  ƒ   Behavior
  ƒ   Testing for releasing techniques

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A ¨task force¨ for the study and conservation of this eagle in
   Argentina - involving researchers from different disciplines
   along the country - is in formation

Aims are to address and evaluate the in–situ and ex-situ
  conservation strategies for this eagle and to elaborate a
  national conservation program

A Crowned Eagle workshop will be held in Buenos Aires, March
  2007, in order to discuss the conservation status of this
  species, prioritize and establish research and conservation
  strategies, and promote collaborative efforts

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Conservation Measures

 Ex situ        In situ

                          29

Conservation Measures

   Ex situ      In situ

                          30

Conservation Measures

    Ex situ   In situ

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

M.Cavicchia-A. Quaglia      R. Pereyra-Lobos          A. DiGiacomo            A. Capdeville       R. Rodriguez

          E. Pescetti                JC.. Chebez               E. Coconier                    J. Anfuso

Special Thanks
H. Argibay H, J. Baigorria, F. Barbar, R. Casares R, Garcia G, Gil G, V. Suarez, H. Ibañez, N. Monti, S. Seipke,
P. Tubaro, E. De Lucca, A. DiGiacomo, V. Roig, JH Sarasola, JJ Maceda, CECARA, L. Muñoz, S. Mayorga, N.
Palito, M. Godoy, S. Anfuso, H. Ferreyra, M. De la Pena, A. Chiappe, Aves Argentinas, CRICYT, Fundación
Félix de Azara, Guira Oga, V. Roig, and many others interested in the conservation of this endangered species

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ƒDr. Ian Tizard, Professor & Director
    ƒThe Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center, Texas A&M University

ƒDrs. Ursula Höfle & Juan M. Blanco
ƒSpeakers and assistants to this congress

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Questions?

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Thank you very much for your
         attention!

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