piana harpy presentation 2002

8/2/2019 Piana Harpy Presentation 2002

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Data on nesting sites and dietcomposition

By: Renzo P. Piana MSc.

The Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) in theInfierno Native Community


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I. The study area

The project was conducted in the Infierno Native

Community (INC).

Province of Tambopata, department of Madre deDios, southeastern Per. (see map).

The area is adjacent to the recently created

Tambopata National Reserve.

The INC is situated 20 km south of Puerto

Maldonado.


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Characteristics of the study area

Position (1243 S; 6913 W). Altitude 330 masl.

Communal owned territory (private land).

Life Zone: Sub Tropical Humid forest (ONERN 1976;Holdridge 1978).

Temperature: 25 C (although temperature candrop to 10 C between June and July).

Precipitation: Two seasons

Dry season: 500 mm (April-Sept.)Wet season: 2000 mm (Oct.- March)

SENAMHI 2000.


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Position of nests were obtained with GPS (Magellan

Trailblazer and Garmin III+).Observations of forest types and evidence of human

impacts were assessed.

Distances between nesting sites were obtained with the

aid of GPS.

Prey remains were collected at the base of the nestingtrees, at the base of feeding perches and inside

abandoned nests.

Datacollected


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Results


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Nest Tree species DBH (cm) Nest height (m) Observations

Miguel Bertholletia excelsa 156 27 Brazil nut stand. Low impact.

Escuela I Dipterix micrantha 140 24 Brazil nut stand. High impact.

Escuela II Bertholletia excelsa 124 21 Brazil nut stand. High impact.Gallito Dipterix micrantha 126 26 Low terrace. High impact.

Marcelo Bertholletia excelsa 138 25 Brazil nut stand. Medium impact.

Carrazco Bertholletia excelsa 149 24 Brazil nut stand. Low impact.

Average 138 24.5

Table 1: Harpy Eagles nests found in the INC


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Nests architecture and position on tree

crown Miguel nest was

located on a deadbrazil nut tree.

Very low impact ofextractive activities.

At least one chickfledged from thisnest.

Nest on mainramification of treecrown.


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Nests architecture and position on tree

crown

Escuela I nest was

locates two km away

from the center of the

INC. High impact of

extractive activities.

Two consecutive chicks

died before fledging. The adults abandoned

the nest.


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Prey remains analysis

In total 112 prey remainsamples were collected

90% of the samples were inthe form of casts.

80 (71%) prey remains wereidentified.

Nails, hairs, maxillae,

jawbones, teeth, craniumfragments, beaks and featherswere easily identified.

Didelphismarsupialis2Choloepushoffmanni14

Bradypusvariegatus11

Tamanduatetradactyla9

Cabassousunicinctus*1

Alouataseniculus2

Aotussp.*1Cebusapella1

Nasuanasua6

Eirabarbara1

Potusflavus12

Coendoubicolor15

Amazonasp2Ramphastoscuvieri*1

Ramphastosculminatus*1

Unknownbirdspecies1

Total80


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Fig 2: Percentage) of identified prey remains

consumed by Harpy Eagles (Harpia harpyja) in the INC

(n=80).

2.50%

18.75%17.50%

13.75%

11.25%

1.25%

7.50%

1.25%

15%

2.50%1.25%1.25%

2.50%1.25%1.25%1.25%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

Didelph

isma

rsupialis

Coen

doubi

color

Cholo

epus

hoffm

anni

Brad

ypus

varieg

atus

Tama

ndua

tetrada

ctyla

Caba

ssou

sunicin

ctus

Nasu

anas

ua

Eirabar

bara

Potusfl

avus

Alou

atasenic

ulus

Aotussp

.

Cebusa

pella

Amazon

asp

.

Rampha

stoscu

vierii

Rampha

stos

culmin

atus

Unkn

ownbir

dspe

cies

Prey species

Ammountofidentified

preyremains(%).

Coendou bicolor

Choloepus hoffmanni

Bradypus variegatus

Tamandua tetradactyla

Nasua nasua

Potus flavus


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Fig 3: Day activity status (diurnal, nocturnal or both) of

preys consumed by the Harpy Eagle in the INC. Based onthe analysis of identified prey remains (n=80) after Emmons 1990.

18%

57%

25%

Diurnal (birds, {Cebus& Alouatta}, Nasua,Eira).

Nocturnal (Didelphis,Choloepus,Cabassous, Aotus,Potus, Coendou )

Both (Tamandua,Bradypus).


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Fig 4: Canopy level (arboreal, terrestrial or both) of

species consumed by the Harpy Eagle in the INC. Based onthe analysis of identified prey remains (n=79) after Emmons 1990.

15%

70%

15%

Terrestrial(Cabassous,

Nasua).

Arboreal (Coendou,sloths, primates,Potus, birds).

Both (Tamandua,Didelphis, Eira).


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Conclusions

-On nesting trees- From June 1996 to May 2001, six active Harpy

Eagles nests were found in the INC.

Four of these nests were on Brazil nut(Bertholletia excelsa) trees. The remaning twowere on Shihuahuaco (Dipterix micrantha) trees.

The average DBH of nesting trees used by harpies

in the INC was 138 cm. The average height were the nests where located

was 24.5 m.


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Conclusions-on nesting areas-

The average distance between breeding sites (n=3)

was 7,4 km. The average breeding area for a pair

of Harpy Eagles in the INC was estimated in 4300

ha.

Of the five nests found, four where located in

areas where Brazil nut collection is performed.

Human activities such as Brazil nut collection andpalm leaves collection have no impact on harpies

nesting activities.


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Conclusions

-on prey remains analysis- 112 prey remains were collected on four nesting

sites. Of these, 80 (71%) were identified.

At least 15 species (mammals & birds) were

predated by the Harpy Eagles in the INC. 67 (84%) of the identified remains belonged to 6

mammal spp.

Of these 6 mammal spp. Bicolor-spined porcupine

(C. bicolor) was the most abundant prey, makingup to 19% of the identified remains.


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Conclusions

-on prey remains analysis- Sloths (two-toed and three toed) were the most

abundant group of mammals consumed by

Harpies, making up to 31% of the prey remains

that were identified.

57% (46) of the prey remains that were identified

belonged to nocturnal mammals.

70% (56) of the prey remains that were identifiedbelonged to arboreal mammal.


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piana harpy presentation 2002

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