Home Range of a Large Forest Eagle in a Suburban Landscape: Crowned Eagles (Stephanoaetus coronatus) in the Durban Metropolitan Open Space System, South Africa

摘要: Apex predators are sensitive to human disturbance and persecution, often becoming the first losses in a declining urban wildlife community. A population of Crowned Eagles (Stephanoaetus coronatus) within eThekwini municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, persists green space network called Durban Metropolitan Open Space System (DMOSS). We used GPS–UHF telemetry investigate home range habitat use five breeding adult for 1 yr. documented mean annual four birds 13 km2 (Minimum Convex Polygon [MCP] 100%), or 6.3 (Kernel Density Estimator [KDE], bandwith HLSCV 95%), equating small ranges this large eagle, compared with other eagles. Habitat correlation DMOSS area underscored importance retaining forest patches mosaic landscape encourage persistence raptor. Our study highlighted planning future city expansion land development. The spatial associations may be inform planners who wish support biodiverse communities that include apex an landscape.