一项研究警告称，南美洲的食肉性角雕可能会陷入困境

一项研究警告称，南美洲的食肉性角雕可能会陷入困境

Harpy eagles are perhaps one of the most impressive and ferocious birds on the planet, with an enormous wingspan of up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) - that’s like wearing Stephen Merchant as wings. These birds do not mess around and they're a serious threat for many species in South America where they flit below the tree canopy snatching monkeys and sloths. Their name is actually inspired by Harpyja, the predatory half-woman, half-bird monster of Greek mythology. Basically, they are some seriously badass birds.

角雕可能是地球上最令人印象深刻、最凶猛的鸟类之一了，它的巨大翼展可达2米(6.5英尺)——这就像斯蒂芬·麦Merchant的翅膀一样。这些鸟不会乱来，它们是南美洲许多物种的严重威胁，它们在树冠下飞行，抓走猴子和树懒。他们的名字实际上是受了Harpyja的启发，Harpyja是希腊神话中半女人半鸟的食肉怪物。基本上，它们是一些非常厉害的鸟。

These top-tier predators are also elusive animals, steering well-clear of human settlements. As such, they’ve disappeared from ranges encroached upon by human activity and, at the time of writing, they are listed as “Near Threatened” on the IUCN Red List. However, recent research published in the journal Ecology & Evolution has warned that the Harpy could be in more trouble than we realize.

这些顶级掠食者也是难以捉摸的动物，它们远离人类居住地。因此，它们已经从人类活动所侵占的范围内消失，在写这篇文章的时候，它们还被列入世界自然保护联盟(IUCN)的红色名单中，被列为“濒临威胁”。然而，最近发表在《生态与进化》杂志上的一项研究警告说，角雕的麻烦可能比我们意识到的要大。

Led by researchers from the University of Plymouth, UK, the new study suggests that the existing methodology used to assess the population size of the species' is overestimating their distribution. The study combined sightings with environmental data to carry out spatial modeling and analyses that took into consideration the birds’ habitat preferences.

由英国普利茅斯大学的研究人员领导的这项新研究表明，现有的评估物种数量大小的方法“高估了它们的分布”。该研究将观测结果与环境数据结合起来，进行空间建模和分析，并考虑到鸟类的栖息地偏好。

Rachael Funnell

"More than half of all global raptor species have declining populations,” said senior author Dr Robert Puschendorf, Lecturer in Conservation Biology, in a statement. “So, understanding more about where they choose to live and why should be a critical factor when we are looking at how best to go about conserving raptor populations. The type of model we have presented here is lacking for many rare and threatened species, particularly in tropical regions, but can be a cost-effective and rapid way to direct conservation planning for threatened species."

“全球一半以上的猛禽物种数量都在下降，”保护生物学讲师、资深作者罗伯特·普什顿多夫博士在一份声明中说。“所以，在我们研究如何最好地保护迅猛龙种群时，更多地了解它们选择在哪里生活以及为什么生活应该是一个关键因素。我们在这里提出的这种模式对于许多稀有和濒危物种来说是缺乏的，尤其是在热带地区，但它可以是指导濒危物种保护规划的一种经济有效且快速的方式。”

Their model revealed a population estimate that sits at 11 percent below the current estimates published on the IUCN website. There are several factors Harpy eagles favor when selecting a habitat, but the team’s research highlighted climatic moisture as one of the most influential, followed by habitats with a minimum temperature of around 27 degrees Celsius (80.6 Fahrenheit) in the warmest month of the year.

他们的模型显示，该种群的估计数比世界自然保护联盟网站上公布的当前估计数低11%。在选择栖息地时，有几个因素是角雕喜欢的，但研究小组的研究强调，气候湿度是最具影响力的因素之一，其次是一年中最温暖的月份最低温度在27摄氏度(80.6华氏度)左右的栖息地。

This information can be used to inform areas inhabited by Harpy eagles which may fail to fulfil the required conditions to support these animals. Areas which are predicted to remain stable for their resident Harpies include the center-most part of the Amazon, Guyana, eastern Colombia, and Panama. The researchers urge that in light of this, these areas should be prioritized for future conservation projects centered around Harpy eagles.

这些信息可以用来通知那些可能无法满足这些动物生存条件的角雕居住地区。预计栖息角雕的地区将保持稳定，包括亚马逊河的最中部、圭亚那、哥伦比亚东部和巴拿马。研究人员敦促，鉴于此，这些地区应该优先考虑以角雕为中心的未来保护项目。

Female harpy eagles can be twice as heavy as the males. Image credit: Feather Collector/Shutterstock.com

"Harpy eagles are difficult to observe and live at low population densities, so there has been limited research into what environmental factors influence their range limits,” said Luke Sutton, a PhD student in the University of Plymouth's School of Biological and Marine Sciences and lead author on the research. “Our study shows that predicted future climate stability will be in core areas with extensive lowland tropical forest habitat. That means habitat loss as a result of deforestation is the greatest threat they face, and conservation plans need to take all of that into account."

普利茅斯大学生物和海洋科学学院的博士生、该研究的第一作者卢克·萨顿说:“角雕很难被观察到，并且生活在低人口密度的环境中，所以关于环境因素影响它们活动范围的研究非常有限。我们的研究表明，预测的未来气候稳定性将在拥有广泛低地热带森林栖息地的核心地区。这意味着森林砍伐导致的栖息地丧失是它们面临的最大威胁，保护计划需要把这一切都考虑进去。”