A LEAP Forward in Wildlife Conservation: A Standardized Framework to Determine Mortality Causes in Large GPS-Tagged Birds
Title (eng)
A LEAP Forward in Wildlife Conservation: A Standardized Framework to Determine Mortality Causes in Large GPS-Tagged Birds
Author
Connor T. Panter
Carina Nebel
Maximilian Raab
Verena Strauss
Clara Freytag
Manuel Wojta
Hannah Böing
Patrick Hacker
Rainhard Raab
Jendrik Windt
Patrick Scherler
Martin U. Grüebler
Urs G Kormann
Martin Kolbe
Alexandre Millon
Javier de la Puente
Javier Viñuela
Duncan Orr-Ewing
Oliver Krone
Torsten Langgemach
Susanne Åkesson
Brady Mattsson
Petra Sumasgutner
Manuel Alcántara de la Fuente
Ernesto Alvarez
Juan Arizaga
Albert Bach Pagès
Ana Bermejo
Guido Ceccolini
Nayden Chakarov
Peter Derpmann-Hagenström
Marek Dostál
Gerd Fabian
Wolfgang Fiedler
Manuel Galán
Clément Ganier
Andreas Gärtner
Liza Glesener
Alfonso Godino
Zuzana Guziová
László; Haraszthy
Caka Karlsson
Katharina Klein
Ivan Literák
Nicolas Lorenzini
Manuela Löwold
Christopher Lüning
Boris Maderič
Karel Makoň
Kerstin Mammen
Ubbo Mammen
Torsten Marczak
Hynek Matušík
Aymeric Mionnet
Sara Morollón
Jakub Mráz
Winfried Nachtigall
Bernd Nicolai
Marta Olalde Fernández
Meinolf Ottensmann
María Jesús Palacios González
Jean-Yves Paquet
Vladimír Pečeňák
Lubomír Peške
Thomas Pfeiffer
Robert Pudwill
Dušan Rak
Tim Maximilian Rapp
Alexander Resetaritz
Stef van Rijn
Romain Riols
Arturo Rodríguez
Luisa Scholze
Laura Schulte
Aurélie de Seynes
Jan Škrábal
Péter Spakovszky
Eike Steinborn
Ján Svetlík
Samuel Talhoet
Miklós Vaczi
Anne-Gaelle Verdier
Zdenĕk Vermouzek
Inglada, Diego Villanúa Inglada
Jörg Westphal
Rainer Raab
Abstract (eng)
Anthropogenic activities threaten many wildlife populations by increasing mortality rates, making it crucial to identify the locations and causes of mortality to inform conservation actions. Technological advancements, such as GPS satellite tracking, enable precise recording of wildlife movements. High-resolution data from such devices can facilitate rapid carcass recovery and provide insights into the mortality causes of tagged individuals. Obtaining required information to determine these causes is complex, and standardized approaches can overcome these limitations. In this study, we introduce the LIFE EUROKITE Assessment Protocol (LEAP), a framework for determining the timing, locations, and causes of mortality in GPS-tagged birds. LEAP is a multifaceted approach that integrates: (1) GPS tracking data, (2) evidence from the mortality location (site investigation), and (3) necropsy results to derive the mortality cause and a corresponding certainty score. We supplement the detailed description of LEAP with case studies assessing its effectiveness. Using 329 deceased GPS-tagged red kites (Milvus milvus) we compared conditions of the carcasses processed using LEAP with 145 opportunistically collected raptor carcasses. We also show that LEAP improves carcass condition and therefore allows for higher quality necropsy results. Additionally, we assessed how availability among sources of information (tracking, site investigation and necropsy) influences the quality of mortality assessments. Applying LEAP with all data sources provided the highest quality assessments in 64% of cases. Some 35% of cases were of high quality without necropsy, instead drawing evidence only from tracking data and site investigations. Predation related mortality was less prevalent (11%) when relying on necropsy compared to cases without necropsy (36%), while poisoning showed the opposite trend. Furthermore, we provide guidelines and empirical examples of mortality assessments. Our standardized LEAP approach ensures the best use of all available information regarding mortality events in GPS-tagged birds and advances wildlife mortality research as a valuable tool for conservationists and wildlife managers.
Keywords (eng)
Bird CrimeCause of DeathGPS TrackingHuman-Wildlife ConflictPopulation MonitoringSurvival AnalysisWildlife Conservation
Type (eng)
Language
[eng]
Persistent identifier
Is in series
Title (eng)
Ecology and Evolution
Volume
15
Issue
4
ISSN
2045-7758
Issued
2025
Number of pages
26
Publication
Wiley
Version type (eng)
Date issued
2025
Access rights (eng)
License
Rights statement (eng)
© 2025 The Author(s).
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https://phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at/o:4478 - Other links and identifiers
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- RightsLicenseRights statement© 2025 The Author(s).
- DetailsResource typeText (PDF)Formatapplication/pdfCreated29.10.2025 10:44:08 UTC
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