Most raptors are flagship and umbrella species acting as ecosystem engineers. Research on avian parasites in raptors is therefore of interest. There is a lack of studies on Sarcocystis in naturally infected raptors. In the present work, we aimed to identify Sarcocystis spp. in intestinal scrapings of the raptors from Spain. Sarcocystis spp. were identified in 82.5% of the intestinal samples studied by nested PCR and sequencing of the partial ITS1 region and 28S rRNA. A total of nine known Sarcocystis species, S. arctica, S. columbae, S. cornixi, S. glareoli, S. halieti, S. kutkienae, S. cf strixi, S. turdusi, and Sarcocystis sp. ex Corvus corax, and three genetically new organisms, Sarcocystis sp. Rod6, Sarcocystis sp. Rod7, and Sarcocystis sp. 22AvEs1, were identified in the intestines of raptors. This study is the first report of Sarcocystis spp. in the intestines of eleven raptor species from Spain. Furthermore, the new potential definitive hosts have been determined for seven Sarcocystis species. Co-infection of Sarcocystis spp. has also been observed, with more than one species found in 72.5% of birds. Nine different Sarcocystis species were identified in the intestinal samples of the Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo). In conclusion, raptors play an important role in the transmission of Sarcocystis spp.

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.

We analyzed changes in the composition of the community of birds of prey and corvids in a rainfed agrosystem after the transformation of 37.2 % of the sampled area into irrigated land between 2005 and 2020. We sampled 57 transects (372 km per year) and fitted generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) to study changes in species occurrence. Our results showed that specific richness and the Shannon index did not vary significantly between rainfed and irrigated transects, but there was a certain positive trend when comparing the years 2005 and 2020. Regarding the differences detected for each species, the occurrence of Montagu’s harrier Circus pygargus, hen harrier Circus cyaneus, Eurasian short-toed eagle Circaetus gallicus, griffon vulture Gyps fulvus and carrion crow Corvus corone was significantly lower in irrigated land than in rainfed land, while magpie Pica pica, Western marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus, common kestrel Falco tinnunculus and black kite Milvus migrans showed a significantly higher occurrence in the irrigated transects. In addition, our findings confirm a significant decrease in occurrence between 2005 and 2020 both in rainfed and irrigated areas for Montagu’s harrier, hen harrier and magpie, while Western marsh harrier, golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos, common buzzard Buteo buteo, red kite Milvus milvus, griffon vulture Gyps fulvus, red-billed chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax and Western jackdaw Coloeus monedula were detected significantly more frequently in 2020 than in 2005. These results suggest that assessment of the impact of a new irrigation system should focus on the most characteristic species of rainfed agrosystems because the apparently positive effect on other species, equally protected but more generalist, may mask the real effect on conservation.