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A.T. Smith

Publications and source records attributed to A.T. Smith.

3 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2006

Spatial structure in the diet of imperial eagles Aquila heliaca in Kazakhstan

We evaluated the relationship between spatial variability in prey and food habits of eastern imperial eagles Aquila heliaca at a 90,000 ha national nature reserve in north-central Kazakhstan. Eagle diet varied greatly within the population and the spatial structure of eagle diet within the population varied according to the scale of measurement. Patterns in dietary response were inconsistent with expectations if either ontogenetic imprinting or competition determined diet choice, but they met expectations if functional response determined diet. Eagles nesting near a high-density prey resource used that resource almost exclusively. In contrast, in locations with no single high-density prey species, eagles' diet was more diverse. Our results demonstrate that spatial structuring of diet of vertebrate predators can provide important insight into the mechanisms that drive dietary decisions. ?? OIKOS.

Journal of Avian Biology↗
USGS2003

Coexistence in a multispecies assemblage of eagles in central Asia

We evaluated factors that permit species coexistence in an exceptional assemblage of similar raptor species at the Naurzum Zapovednik (a national nature reserve) in north-central Kazakhstan. White-tailed Sea-Eagle ( Haliaeetus albicilla ), Imperial Eagle ( Aquila heliaca ), Golden Eagle ( A. chrysaetos ), and Steppe Eagle ( A. nipalensis ) all breed at the Zapovednik. Steppe Eagle use of nesting resources was distinct from that of tree-nesting species. We evaluated differences in nest tree and nest habitat characteristics, nest dimensions and positions, and nest spacing among the three forest-dwelling eagle species to distinguish between the effects of inter- and intraspecific resource limitations on species coexistence. Although the different species bred in similar habitat and sometimes reused other species' nests, the dimensions, positions and locations of their nests often differed. These differences did not appear to result from interspecific competition. Nest spacing trends were also species specific; Imperial Eagles generally nested farther from other eagle nests than did Golden Eagles and White-tailed Sea-Eagles. Intraspecific variation in habitat, physical characteristics, and spacing patterns of Imperial Eagle nests was extensive throughout the nature reserve. Although interspecific partitioning of nesting habitat may allow coexistence of ground-nesting Steppe Eagles, interspecific competition did not appear to be a primary determinant of the use of nest habitat, space, or nests by tree-nesting species. Rather, interspecific effects appeared secondary to intraspecific effects in determining coexistence of tree-nesting eagles at this site.

Naurzum Zapovednik↗