Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Avian trichomonosis, caused by the protozoan Trichomonas gallinae, affects bird-eating raptors worldwide. Raptors can develop trichomonosis by feeding on infected prey, particularly Rock Pigeons (C olumba livia), which are a reservoir for T. gallinae. Raptors may be particularly vulnerable to T. gallinae infection in degraded habitats, where changes in resources may cause raptors to switch from foraging on native prey to synanthropic avian species such as Rock Pigeons. Golden Eagles ( Aquila chrysaetos) typically forage on mammals; however, habitat across much of their range is experiencing degradation through changes in land use, climate, and human encroachment. In 2015, we examined the prevalence of T. gallinae infection in Golden Eagle nestlings across western North America and conducted an intensive study on factors associated with T. gallinae infection and trichomonosis in southwestern Idaho. We found T. gallinae infection in 13% (12/96) of eagle nestlings across 10 western states and in 41% (13/32) of nestlings in southwestern Idaho. At the Idaho site, the probability of T. gallinae infection increased as the proportion of Rock Pigeons in nestling diet increased. Nestlings with diets that consisted of ≥10% Rock Pigeons had a very high probability of T. gallinae infection. We compared historical (1971-81) and recent (2014-15) diet data and incidence of trichomonosis lesions of nestling eagles in Idaho and found that the proportion of Rock Pigeons in eagle diets was higher in recent versus historical periods, as was the proportion of eagle nestlings with trichomonosis lesions. Our results suggested that localized shifts in eagle diet that result from habitat degradation and loss of historical prey resources have the potential to affect Golden Eagle nestling survival and supported the hypothesis that land use change can alter biologic communities in a way that might have consequences for disease infection and host susceptibility.

Abstract Detailed information on diets and predatory ecology of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) is essential to prioritize prey species management and to develop landscape-specific conservation strategies, including mitigation of the effects of energy development across the western United States. We compiled published and unpublished data on Golden Eagle diets to (1) summarize available information on Golden Eagle diets in the western U.S., (2) compare diets among biogeographic provinces, and (3) discuss implications for conservation planning and future research. We analyzed 35 studies conducted during the breeding season at 45 locations from 1940–2015. Golden Eagle diet differed among western ecosystems. Lower dietary breadth was associated with desert and shrub-steppe ecosystems and higher breadth with mountain ranges and the Columbia Plateau. Correlations suggest that percentage of leporids in the diet is the factor driving overall diversity of prey and percentage of other prey groups in the diet of Golden Eagles. Leporids were the primary prey of breeding Golden Eagles in 78% of study areas, with sciurids reported as primary prey in 18% of study areas. During the nonbreeding season, Golden Eagles were most frequently recorded feeding on leporids and carrion. Golden Eagles can be described as both generalist and opportunistic predators; they can feed on a wide range of prey species but most frequently feed on abundant medium-sized prey species in a given habitat. Spatial variations in Golden Eagle diet likely reflect regional differences in prey community, whereas temporal trends likely reflect responses to long-term change in prey populations. Evidence suggests dietary shifts from traditional (leporid) prey can have adverse effects on Golden Eagle reproductive rates. Land management practices that support or restore shrub-steppe ecosystem diversity should benefit Golden Eagles. More information is needed on nonbreeding-season diet to determine what food resources, such as carrion, are important for overwinter survival.

Review Article| November 01 2007 Pecos National Historic Park. United States Department of the Interior. KATHY BILLINGS, superintendent; CHRISTINE BEEKMAN; chief interpreter; HEATHER YOUNG, curator. JUTI A. WINCHESTER JUTI A. WINCHESTER Buffalo Bill Historical Center Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar The Public Historian (2007) 29 (4): 121–123. https://doi.org/10.1525/tph.2007.29.4.121 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation JUTI A. WINCHESTER; Pecos National Historic Park. United States Department of the Interior. KATHY BILLINGS, superintendent; CHRISTINE BEEKMAN; chief interpreter; HEATHER YOUNG, curator.. The Public Historian 1 November 2007; 29 (4): 121–123. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/tph.2007.29.4.121 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentThe Public Historian Search This content is only available via PDF. © 2007 by The Regents of the University of California and the National Council on Public History2007 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Journal Article William de la Montagne Cary: Artist on the Missouri River Get access William de la Montagne Cary: Artist on the Missouri River. By Ladner Mildred D.. (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1984.) xix + 242 pp. Illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. $39.95.) Paul Fees Paul Fees Buffalo Bill Historical Center Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Western Historical Quarterly, Volume 16, Issue 3, July 1985, Pages 349–350, https://doi.org/10.2307/969149 Published: 01 July 1985

Journal Article Frederic Remington: A Biography Get access Frederic Remington: A Biography. By Samuels Peggy Samuels Harold. (Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, 1982. x + 537 pp. Illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. $24.95.) Peter H. Hassrick Peter H. Hassrick Buffalo Bill Historical Center Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Western Historical Quarterly, Volume 14, Issue 4, October 1983, Pages 467–468, https://doi.org/10.2307/968209 Published: 01 October 1983