Lubomír Peške

We monitored the growth of 982 kingfisher chicks in 160 breeding events in the Greater Prague district, Czech Republic. The dataset revealed a standard growth pattern for wing length, which reached full grown adult size by fledging (usually 23–25 days). The increase in body weight followed a specific trajectory, approximated by a general additive model (GAM). Chicks attained the average adult weight as early as 9–10 days of age, exceeding the adult average by up to 41% when they were approximately 15–16 days old. This was followed by a prolonged decline in weight back to the adult average by the time of fledging–typically 24 days. This long decrease in weight cannot be attributed to fat resorption, starvation, or dehydration but is possibly related to disorganization of body reserves and the digestive tract after the beginning of thermoregulation. While bill length at fledging remained about 42% shorter than in adults, wing length and body weight reached adult values. Reproductive adaptation to safe and stable but relatively cold nesting conditions underground enabled Alcedo atthis (and also Megaceryle alcyon in North America and M. torquata in South America) to expand to colder latitudes.

In areas of sympatry, animals face risks associated with predation pressure and competition for space and/or food from individuals within the same or different ecological guilds. In birds of prey, intraguild competitors and adversaries may adapt to coexistence through various mechanisms, such as spatial avoidance, dietary differentiation, or using distinct habitat types in the shared environment. However, studies examining multiple sympatric owl species and simultaneously investigating their home ranges, diet, and roosting sites remain exceptional. Therefore, we studied four sympatric owl species to obtain findings on spatial arrangements of their diurnal roosting home ranges, and prey and habitat selection during the breeding season. Individual males from three of the four studied species [Eurasian pygmy owl ( Glaucidium passerinum ), boreal owl ( Aegolius funereus ), and tawny owl ( Strix aluco )] were radio-tracked in an area co-inhabited by an apex intraguild predator, the Eurasian eagle-owl ( Bubo bubo ). The diurnal roosting home range, calculated using a 95% kernel density estimation method, was 111, 117, and 7 ha for the pygmy, boreal, and tawny owl male, respectively. The diurnal roosting home ranges overlapped by 55% in the case of the boreal and pygmy owl males; in contrast, their ranges overlapped only by 2% and 4%, respectively, with that of the tawny owl male. The tawny owl male roosted at a respectful distance from the eagle-owl’s nest site in all recorded cases, while it was included within the diurnal roosting home ranges of both smaller owl species, indicating the subordinate owl species may use the presence of an apex predator to protect themselves from medium-intraguild enemies. The study results suggest that intraguild competitors/enemies may mitigate direct conflict through spatial avoidance and dietary differentiation, and such partial niche separation may help reduce food competition within the guild, promoting coexistence among species.

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.

In recent years, temperature data loggers have been used to collect breeding details including the duration of incubation breaks, detect the exact start of incubation, and record unsuccessful breeding in various types of bird nests. Nevertheless, the majority of conventional techniques are inapplicable in subterranean settings. This study presents the results of using a temperature data logger to monitor breeding phases and the transitions between them in the natural nest holes of the Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis. The first sensor was placed inside an occupied nest chamber (during egg laying or incubation) beside the clutch, while the second sensor was placed in a reference hole near the nest at the same depth and height as the occupied nest hole. The temperature inside the nest chamber and the reference hole was measured continuously at one-minute intervals. Measurements were taken during various time periods, from egg laying/incubation to the successful fledging of chicks or their death. The temperature curves clearly indicate the laying of the eggs, the start of incubation, successful fledging, or the death of chicks in the nest chamber, and even other fine details such as diurnal fluctuations or levels of thermal stability. It was not always possible to determine exactly when the chicks hatched from the temperature data, as incubated eggs and freshly hatched chicks have similar temperature demands and receive similar heat from the brooding parent.

The great importance of the domestic horse in human history and culture has long made it a significant subject of research. The historical role of the horse and new studies and discoveries that are key to under standing its domestication provided the impetus for this paper. The review presents and discusses the current state of know ledge and ideas concerning the origins, domestication, early history, historical roles, and exploitation of this domestic animal from central European and global perspectives. Ecological, biological, phylogenetic, archaeological and historical aspects are combined to explore the issue in a comprehensive manner and to provide insights into various scientific fields and the different regions of Eurasia. horse (Equus caballus)-tarpan-Equus hydruntinus-domestication-archaeogenetics-chariot-ridingbridle-archaeozoology Kůň je s ohledem na jeho podstatný význam v lidských dějinách a kultuře v hledáčku badatelů z různých oborů. Historická role koně, ale zejména nové, pro poznání jeho domestikace klíčové studie a objevy, byly impulsem pro vytvoření tohoto příspěvku. Jeho cílem je prezentovat a diskutovat aktuální poznatky a před stavy o původu, domestikaci, rané historii, využívání a historické roli tohoto domácího zvířete z české, středoevropské i světové perspektivy. V příspěvku je kombinován aspekt ekologický, biologický, fylogenetic ký, archeologický i historický. Problematika je tímto pojata komplexně, s nahlédnutím do různých směrů bá dání a různých regionů Eurasie. kůň (Equus caballus)-tarpan-Equus hydruntinus-domestikace-archeogenetika-vůz-jezdectví-uzdaarcheozoologie

We collected and evaluated, by the ‘logarithmic size index’ (LSI) method, all available postcranial equid bones found in the Czech Republic from the Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age. Material from the Upper Paleolithic (Magdalenien) and Bohemian Late Bronze Age (Knovíz culture) was also included. Two different species of equids were documented: Equus hydruntinus Regalia, 1907 and Equus ferus Boddaert, 1785. The variation in the size of true horses was compared with data published for neighbouring countries. In most periods, the horses are found to be larger in the eastern part of Central Europe than in the western part. The Czech lands appear to span the border of two worlds: the Pannonian plains and the western, geomorphologically diverse regions. The status of horses in the Neolithic Lengyel period from Moravia remains disputable. However, a high size variability in Eneolithic Funnel Beaker culture (TRB, 3800-3350 BC) together with a non-homogeneous distribution in Řivnáč culture (3100-2800 BC... Résumé Résumé La taille et la domestication des chevaux : ossements équins préhistoriques de République Tchèque dans le contexte Européen. Nous avons collecté et évalué par la méthode LSI (index détaillé logarithmique) tous les ossements équins postcraniaux retrouvés en République Tchèque depuis le Néolithique jusqu'à l'âge du bronze. Les matériaux du Paléolithique Supérieur (magdalénien) et de l'âge du bronze Récent (culture Knoviz) ont également été inclus. Deux espèces différentes d'équidés ont été étudiées : Equus hydruntinus Regalia, 1907 et Equus ferus Boddaert, 1785. La variation dans la taille des ‘vrais’ chevaux a été comparée avec les données publiées pour les pays voisins. Dans la majorité des périodes, les chevaux étaient plus grands dans la partie est de l'Europe Centrale que dans sa partie ouest. Les régions Tchèques semblent couvrir les frontières de deux mondes : les plaines du Pannonien et les régions ouest à géomorphologies variées. Le statut des chevaux de la période du Néolithique Leng...

The poor survival rate of immature northern bald ibisesGeronticus eremitaduring their first years spent outside the natal site is driving the last known wild colony of the migratory eastern population to extinction. To inform emergency conservation action for this Critically Endangered species we investigated the distribution range and behaviour of immature birds in passage and wintering areas, and the threats to which they are subject. We integrated recent satellite telemetry data with visual observations spanning 130 years. We assessed threats across the range, using satellite tracking and field surveys. Our results show that during the years before they return to the natal site in Syria, immature northern bald ibises reside away from the recently identified adult wintering site in the central Ethiopian highlands. They occur mainly across the northernmost 70–80% of the adult migratory range. Historical records suggest that immature birds spend more time along the western Arabian Peninsula now than in the past. This range shift exposes them for longer periods to threats, such as hunting and electrocution on power lines, which are absent from the wintering site used by adult birds. We suggest that other threatened and declining bird species sharing the same flyway probably face the same threats during migration.