... following the literature sources (Table 1). Data on the breeding status of birds (Table 1) ha... more ... following the literature sources (Table 1). Data on the breeding status of birds (Table 1) have been partly compiled after the following sources: Petrov (1980), Simeonov (1986), Simeonov & Baeva (1988), Simeonov & Delov (1989), Georgiev (1989), Donchev (1994), Simeonov & ...
An analysis of the past geographical, altitudinal and chrono-stratigraphical distribution of the ... more An analysis of the past geographical, altitudinal and chrono-stratigraphical distribution of the Hazel grouse (Tetrastes bonasia) remains in Bulgaria is given, based on fossil and subfossil bone remains. Data of 8 Quaternary localities (Calabrian to Meghalayan (former Early Pleistocene to Late Holocene)) from Bulgaria are presented. The records prove the wide distribution of the species mainly in the lowland plain landscapes in North Bulgaria in contrast to modern distribution. The localities were spread at 75 to 580 m a.s.l. but the majority of them were located bellow 250 m a.s.l. Most data originate from the prehistoric cave dwellings of the Paleolithic people.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
The Eastern Imperial Eagle (EIE) is a top predator exploiting different prey in different parts o... more The Eastern Imperial Eagle (EIE) is a top predator exploiting different prey in different parts of its distribution. In this study, we summarise data collected over a long period of time (for 25 consecutive years), identifying key prey species in the different regions, as well as clarifying seasonal preferences in the eagle's diet. Most studies on the EIE food composition covering different parts of the species distribution range analyse the breeding season, while data about the winter diet are scarce. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study detailing the differences in EIE's dietary preferences between the breeding and the winter periods. We identified 4891 specimens belonging to 196 different taxa, which represents the most comprehensive study considering the diet diversity of this threatened species. Mammals represented the largest proportion of the diet, followed by birds and reptiles. Northern White-breasted Hedgehog was the most common prey, accounting for 25.7% of the total prey caught and 26.75% of the biomass. The European Souslik was the second most important prey with 14.35% participation in the eagle's diet, but with a 3.75% contribution to the biomass. As we predicted, prey composition and main prey species varied spatially and seasonally. Modelling differences in the EIE diet, we found that the "territory effect" had the strongest impact on the dietary variations. Diet diversity differed significantly between regions (F = 12.6, df = 4, p = 0.01). During the breeding season, eagles fed mainly on Hedgehogs (29.88%), Sousliks (16.
Received: 11 Sep., 2001 Accepted for publication: 17 Dec., 2001 BOEV Z. 2002. Tetraonidae VIGORS,... more Received: 11 Sep., 2001 Accepted for publication: 17 Dec., 2001 BOEV Z. 2002. Tetraonidae VIGORS, 1825 (Galliformes - Aves) in the Neogene- Quaternary record of Bulgaria and the origin and evolution of the family. In: Proceedings of the 4th Meeting of the ICAZ Bird Working Group Krakow, Poland, 11-15 September, 2001. Acta zoologica cracoviensia, 45(special issue): 263-282. Abstract. Bulgaria has a very diversified avifauna of fossil and subfossil Tetraonidae, con- sisting of at least 9 species. This avifauna is represented by 525 bone finds from 27 avian localities in Bulgaria: 3 Pliocene, 11 Pleistocene and 13 Holocene. The Tetraonidae probably first appeared in the savana-forest habitats of the Western Palearctic at the tran- sition between the Pontian and the Ruscinian. The genus Tetrao first appears in the Bal- kans and Europe during the Early Pliocene (MN 14), while the earliest record of Lagopus is in MN 15. Four of the nine Tetraonid species in Bulgaria are fossil species: Lagopus atavus JANOSSY, 1974, Lagopus balcanicus BOEV, 1995, Tetrao partium (KRETZOI, 1962) and Tetrao rhodopensis BOEV, 1998. Three recent species in the fossil record have since disappeared from the avifauna of the country: Lagopus lagopus (LINNAEUS, 1758), Lagopus mutus (MONTIN, 1776) and Tetrao tetrix LINNAEUS, 1758.
Two families, 8 genera, 12 species, and 13 subspecies of recent owls are recorded in Bulgaria. Tw... more Two families, 8 genera, 12 species, and 13 subspecies of recent owls are recorded in Bulgaria. Two species (Bubo scandiacus and Strix nebulosa), established in the Pleistocene localities, disappeared from the country’s recent avifauna. The southernmost limits of the European breeding ranges of three species (Stix uralensis, Aegolius funereus, and Glaucidium passerinum) pass through the territory of Bulgaria. Three species are endangered, 2—vulnerable, 1—threatened, and all the 12 species are protected by law. Earliest record of owls came from Gelasian (2.5 Mya) and Calabrian (1.6 Mya). Bone finds of two Early Pleistocene localities are incompletely identified (as Asio and Athene, respectively). The find of Athene sp. is determined as the oldest European record of that genus. Some anthropogenic factors that cause owl mortality are also presented.
The examined material (207 bones and bone fragments) of 53 avian taxa from two human cave dwellin... more The examined material (207 bones and bone fragments) of 53 avian taxa from two human cave dwellings is dated between 24,000 ± 1000 BP and 9400 ± 100 BP. It reveals that 49.0% of the bird species/taxa disappeared from the recent bird fauna of the Thanh Hoa Province; 39.6% disappeared from the recent bird fauna of North Vietnam (except Thanh Hoa Province); 33.9% disappeared from the recent bird fauna of Vietnam (except North Vietnam); 28.3% are not extant in the recent bird fauna of Indochina (except Vietnam); and 52.8% disappeared from the recent bird fauna of Southeast Asia (except Indochina). This suggests more considerable influence of the Late Pleistocene climatic events on the environment and bird fauna than previously accepted in the Eastern part of the Indochinese peninsula in the last 24–millenia. The gallinaceous birds are best represented. Of the 39 Southeast-Asian species, 18 species/taxa (46.2 percent) are Galliforms. They consist of 34 percent of all bird taxa recorded i...
This is the author accepted manuscript.Astonishingly little is known about the early history of t... more This is the author accepted manuscript.Astonishingly little is known about the early history of the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). To better understand their spatiotemporal spread across Eurasia and Africa, we radiocarbon dated presumed early chicken bones. The results indicate chickens were an Iron Age arrival to Europe and that there was a consistent time-lag of several centuries between their introduction to new regions and incorporation into the human diet. Welldated evidence for Britain and mainland Europe suggests chickens were initially considered exotica and buried as individuals, were gradually incorporated into human funerary rites, and only much later came to be seen as just ‘food’.Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)Chair of Palaeoanatomy, LMU Munic
An analysis of the geographical and altitudinal distribution of remains of the woolly rhinoceros ... more An analysis of the geographical and altitudinal distribution of remains of the woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) in Bulgaria is given. The paper summarizes all scattered data on the distribution of the species gathered in the last 114 years, only a part of them having been published before. Data on nine fossil localities (early–latest Pleistocene) from six provinces of Bulgaria are presented. The Fossil record proves the wide species distribution in the riverine foothills of mountains, plains, and lowlands of the country. Its Pleistocene localities were concentrated in the Danubian Plain, although the species was recorded also in the southernmost part of the country. About 90 percent of the localities were situated below 400 m a. s. l., although the species’ altitudinal distribution reached the maximum of 750 m a. s. l. All findings of the wooly rhinoceros in Bulgaria were made together with those of some species that now inhabit deciduous woodlands or rocky massifs of the...
A horn-core of Bos primigenius excavated from the depth of 537.3–537.4 m in the late medieval dep... more A horn-core of Bos primigenius excavated from the depth of 537.3–537.4 m in the late medieval deposits of the second half of the 17th century to the 1st half of the 18th century AD is reported. This record suggests that the aurochs survived in the Central Balkans a century later than the reported known date (1627) from northern Poland.
Eighteen bone finds of 6 species (incl. one domestic form) of two cave localities from the Deveta... more Eighteen bone finds of 6 species (incl. one domestic form) of two cave localities from the Devetashko Plateau have been examined.
<i>Struthio</i> cf. <i>karatheodoris</i> Forsyth Major, 1888 TYPE MATERIA... more <i>Struthio</i> cf. <i>karatheodoris</i> Forsyth Major, 1888 TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotypefemur, from Samos 1. Said to be in the Barbey collection (Lambrecht 1933: 100); present location unknown (Mlíkovský 2002). TYPE HORIZON. — Late Miocene (MN 11) (Mlíkovský 2002). TYPE LOCALITY. — Samos 1, Samos Island (southeastern Greece). NEW DIAGNOSIS. — Fossil late Miocene ostrich of large size, only smallerthan <i>S. novorossicus</i>, more bipedal, with better developed fourth toe; more robust pedal phal. in comparison to <i>S. camelus</i>. OTHER MATERIALEXAMINED. — Kalimantsi:tmt. dex. dist. (epiphysis, completearticular end) ad., NMNHS 16371 (Fig. 2); fromthe middle Turolian of the fossiliferous area near Kalimantsi village (Blagoevgrard Region, 43.17'N, 27.44'E; UTM grid: NH 59; <i>c.</i> 300 m a.s.l.). — Hadzhidimovo: phal. 1 dig. 3 ped. sin. (almost complete) ad., NMNHS 16372 (Fig. 2); from the base of the middle Turolian or the early-middle Turolian boundary at Tumbichkite (HD-2), near the town of Hadzhidimovo (Blagoevgrard Region, 41.30'N, 23.52'E; UTM grid: GM 30; 500 m a.s.l.). Both sites represent the richest Bulgarian localities of the so-called " <i>Hipparion</i> -fauna". The two specimens are morphometrically similar to each other, and theirrelatively closechronostratigraphic position indicates that they are referrable to the same fossil species. Both specimens were collected in the 1980's by D. Kovachev. LOCALITIES. — Thefossiliferous area around Kalimantsi village in the Middle Struma basin covers a large region (<i>c.</i> 6 km 2) of late Miocene depositsincluding more than 10 known fossil mammal localities (labelled KM sites). Recentbiostratigraphicrevisiondemonstrates thatall KM sites are of Turolian age. KM-1, belonging to the newly established Gradishte lithocomplex, is likely to yield a fauna of early Turolian age, while other KM faunas (referred to the Strumyani Genetic Lithocomplex) are consideredto belong tothe middle Turolian (Tzankov <i>et al.</i> 2005; Spassov <i>et al.</i> 2006). Themiddle Turolian [...]
Three partial fossils of avian feathers from the Middle Miocene locality of fossil flora and faun... more Three partial fossils of avian feathers from the Middle Miocene locality of fossil flora and fauna near Satovcha village (SW Bulgaria) are presented.
Data on the formation and history of the recent Bulgarian avifauna are scarce. The Holocene avifa... more Data on the formation and history of the recent Bulgarian avifauna are scarce. The Holocene avifauna ofthe country with a few exceptions has not been a subject to special investigations so far. Twenty one species have been reported in Pleistocene deposits and 14 of the Holocene, counted until the 7000 B.C. (BOEV, 1992). During Quaternary 3 bird species vanished from the Bulgarian fauna: Lagopus mutus (Montin) and Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax (L.) established by BOCHENSKI (1982) and Tetrao tetrix (L.) reported by H. (1985 a) and 3. (1988, 1993). In the last 40 years another 10 species have been disappeared as nesting in the country: Pelecanus onocrotalus L.(, 1985 a), Haliaetus albicilla L.(, 1985), Gypaetus barbatus L.(, 1985 6),Aegypius monachus L.(, 1985, Grusgrus L.(, 1985 Q),Anthropoides virgo L.(, 1985 ), Otis tarda L.(, 1985 g), Otis tetrax L. (, 1985 ), Gallinago gallinago (L.);(, 1985), Glaucidiumpasserinum (L.)(, 1985), and a subspecies—Phasianus colchicus colchicus L. has lost ...
A new species of griffon vulture (Gyps bochenskii sp. n.) is described from the Late Pliocene (Mi... more A new species of griffon vulture (Gyps bochenskii sp. n.) is described from the Late Pliocene (Middle Villafranchian) deposits of a locality near Varshets (NW Bulgaria). The site was discovered in 1987 and has the richest Late Pliocene (MN 17) vertebrate fauna in Europe. The more than 71 avian species are indicative of a forest-steppe landscape. Petrophylous species are widely represented among the fossil material. The fi nds represent the oldest remains of a griffon vulture, with four skeletal elements: sternum (coracoidal and costal parts), coracoid dex. (humeral and sternal parts), phalanx dist. dig. I pedis sin. and phalanx dist. dig. majoris sin. These remains verify the presence of vultures, and griffon vultures in particular, in Europe (and the Palearctic) before the glacial events of the Pleistocene. The morphology distinguishes (holotype, sternum) the specimens from recent species of Gyps by: steeply orientation of linea intermuscularis; relatively thicker incisurae interco...
The full taxonomic list of the avifaunas of 14 both human (towns, villas, castles, caves, etc.) a... more The full taxonomic list of the avifaunas of 14 both human (towns, villas, castles, caves, etc.) and non-human sites from the Roman period in the present day Bulgarian lands is presented. The examined material consists of 2736 bone remains of at least 422 individuals. The species composition includes 86 taxa (of 14 orders), six of them, Pelecanus onocrotalus, Gypaetus barbatus, Phasianus colchicus (the native autochtonic subspecies, P. c. colchicus), Grus grus, Otis tarda, and Tetrax tetrax, disappeared from the present day country's breeding avifauna. Five forms of domesticated birds (Anser anser domestica, Anas platyrhynchos domestica, Gallus gallus domestica, Pavo cristatus domestica, and Columba livia domestica) have been established. The remains of domestic fowl prevail in most of the sites.
NIKOLOV and STEFFEN OPPEL Diet is not related to productivity but to territory occupancy in a dec... more NIKOLOV and STEFFEN OPPEL Diet is not related to productivity but to territory occupancy in a declining population of Egyptian Vultures Neophron percnopterus. Bird Conservation International, Available on CJO 2015 doi:10.1017/S0959270915000155
... following the literature sources (Table 1). Data on the breeding status of birds (Table 1) ha... more ... following the literature sources (Table 1). Data on the breeding status of birds (Table 1) have been partly compiled after the following sources: Petrov (1980), Simeonov (1986), Simeonov & Baeva (1988), Simeonov & Delov (1989), Georgiev (1989), Donchev (1994), Simeonov & ...
An analysis of the past geographical, altitudinal and chrono-stratigraphical distribution of the ... more An analysis of the past geographical, altitudinal and chrono-stratigraphical distribution of the Hazel grouse (Tetrastes bonasia) remains in Bulgaria is given, based on fossil and subfossil bone remains. Data of 8 Quaternary localities (Calabrian to Meghalayan (former Early Pleistocene to Late Holocene)) from Bulgaria are presented. The records prove the wide distribution of the species mainly in the lowland plain landscapes in North Bulgaria in contrast to modern distribution. The localities were spread at 75 to 580 m a.s.l. but the majority of them were located bellow 250 m a.s.l. Most data originate from the prehistoric cave dwellings of the Paleolithic people.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
The Eastern Imperial Eagle (EIE) is a top predator exploiting different prey in different parts o... more The Eastern Imperial Eagle (EIE) is a top predator exploiting different prey in different parts of its distribution. In this study, we summarise data collected over a long period of time (for 25 consecutive years), identifying key prey species in the different regions, as well as clarifying seasonal preferences in the eagle's diet. Most studies on the EIE food composition covering different parts of the species distribution range analyse the breeding season, while data about the winter diet are scarce. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study detailing the differences in EIE's dietary preferences between the breeding and the winter periods. We identified 4891 specimens belonging to 196 different taxa, which represents the most comprehensive study considering the diet diversity of this threatened species. Mammals represented the largest proportion of the diet, followed by birds and reptiles. Northern White-breasted Hedgehog was the most common prey, accounting for 25.7% of the total prey caught and 26.75% of the biomass. The European Souslik was the second most important prey with 14.35% participation in the eagle's diet, but with a 3.75% contribution to the biomass. As we predicted, prey composition and main prey species varied spatially and seasonally. Modelling differences in the EIE diet, we found that the "territory effect" had the strongest impact on the dietary variations. Diet diversity differed significantly between regions (F = 12.6, df = 4, p = 0.01). During the breeding season, eagles fed mainly on Hedgehogs (29.88%), Sousliks (16.
Received: 11 Sep., 2001 Accepted for publication: 17 Dec., 2001 BOEV Z. 2002. Tetraonidae VIGORS,... more Received: 11 Sep., 2001 Accepted for publication: 17 Dec., 2001 BOEV Z. 2002. Tetraonidae VIGORS, 1825 (Galliformes - Aves) in the Neogene- Quaternary record of Bulgaria and the origin and evolution of the family. In: Proceedings of the 4th Meeting of the ICAZ Bird Working Group Krakow, Poland, 11-15 September, 2001. Acta zoologica cracoviensia, 45(special issue): 263-282. Abstract. Bulgaria has a very diversified avifauna of fossil and subfossil Tetraonidae, con- sisting of at least 9 species. This avifauna is represented by 525 bone finds from 27 avian localities in Bulgaria: 3 Pliocene, 11 Pleistocene and 13 Holocene. The Tetraonidae probably first appeared in the savana-forest habitats of the Western Palearctic at the tran- sition between the Pontian and the Ruscinian. The genus Tetrao first appears in the Bal- kans and Europe during the Early Pliocene (MN 14), while the earliest record of Lagopus is in MN 15. Four of the nine Tetraonid species in Bulgaria are fossil species: Lagopus atavus JANOSSY, 1974, Lagopus balcanicus BOEV, 1995, Tetrao partium (KRETZOI, 1962) and Tetrao rhodopensis BOEV, 1998. Three recent species in the fossil record have since disappeared from the avifauna of the country: Lagopus lagopus (LINNAEUS, 1758), Lagopus mutus (MONTIN, 1776) and Tetrao tetrix LINNAEUS, 1758.
Two families, 8 genera, 12 species, and 13 subspecies of recent owls are recorded in Bulgaria. Tw... more Two families, 8 genera, 12 species, and 13 subspecies of recent owls are recorded in Bulgaria. Two species (Bubo scandiacus and Strix nebulosa), established in the Pleistocene localities, disappeared from the country’s recent avifauna. The southernmost limits of the European breeding ranges of three species (Stix uralensis, Aegolius funereus, and Glaucidium passerinum) pass through the territory of Bulgaria. Three species are endangered, 2—vulnerable, 1—threatened, and all the 12 species are protected by law. Earliest record of owls came from Gelasian (2.5 Mya) and Calabrian (1.6 Mya). Bone finds of two Early Pleistocene localities are incompletely identified (as Asio and Athene, respectively). The find of Athene sp. is determined as the oldest European record of that genus. Some anthropogenic factors that cause owl mortality are also presented.
The examined material (207 bones and bone fragments) of 53 avian taxa from two human cave dwellin... more The examined material (207 bones and bone fragments) of 53 avian taxa from two human cave dwellings is dated between 24,000 ± 1000 BP and 9400 ± 100 BP. It reveals that 49.0% of the bird species/taxa disappeared from the recent bird fauna of the Thanh Hoa Province; 39.6% disappeared from the recent bird fauna of North Vietnam (except Thanh Hoa Province); 33.9% disappeared from the recent bird fauna of Vietnam (except North Vietnam); 28.3% are not extant in the recent bird fauna of Indochina (except Vietnam); and 52.8% disappeared from the recent bird fauna of Southeast Asia (except Indochina). This suggests more considerable influence of the Late Pleistocene climatic events on the environment and bird fauna than previously accepted in the Eastern part of the Indochinese peninsula in the last 24–millenia. The gallinaceous birds are best represented. Of the 39 Southeast-Asian species, 18 species/taxa (46.2 percent) are Galliforms. They consist of 34 percent of all bird taxa recorded i...
This is the author accepted manuscript.Astonishingly little is known about the early history of t... more This is the author accepted manuscript.Astonishingly little is known about the early history of the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). To better understand their spatiotemporal spread across Eurasia and Africa, we radiocarbon dated presumed early chicken bones. The results indicate chickens were an Iron Age arrival to Europe and that there was a consistent time-lag of several centuries between their introduction to new regions and incorporation into the human diet. Welldated evidence for Britain and mainland Europe suggests chickens were initially considered exotica and buried as individuals, were gradually incorporated into human funerary rites, and only much later came to be seen as just ‘food’.Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)Chair of Palaeoanatomy, LMU Munic
An analysis of the geographical and altitudinal distribution of remains of the woolly rhinoceros ... more An analysis of the geographical and altitudinal distribution of remains of the woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) in Bulgaria is given. The paper summarizes all scattered data on the distribution of the species gathered in the last 114 years, only a part of them having been published before. Data on nine fossil localities (early–latest Pleistocene) from six provinces of Bulgaria are presented. The Fossil record proves the wide species distribution in the riverine foothills of mountains, plains, and lowlands of the country. Its Pleistocene localities were concentrated in the Danubian Plain, although the species was recorded also in the southernmost part of the country. About 90 percent of the localities were situated below 400 m a. s. l., although the species’ altitudinal distribution reached the maximum of 750 m a. s. l. All findings of the wooly rhinoceros in Bulgaria were made together with those of some species that now inhabit deciduous woodlands or rocky massifs of the...
A horn-core of Bos primigenius excavated from the depth of 537.3–537.4 m in the late medieval dep... more A horn-core of Bos primigenius excavated from the depth of 537.3–537.4 m in the late medieval deposits of the second half of the 17th century to the 1st half of the 18th century AD is reported. This record suggests that the aurochs survived in the Central Balkans a century later than the reported known date (1627) from northern Poland.
Eighteen bone finds of 6 species (incl. one domestic form) of two cave localities from the Deveta... more Eighteen bone finds of 6 species (incl. one domestic form) of two cave localities from the Devetashko Plateau have been examined.
<i>Struthio</i> cf. <i>karatheodoris</i> Forsyth Major, 1888 TYPE MATERIA... more <i>Struthio</i> cf. <i>karatheodoris</i> Forsyth Major, 1888 TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotypefemur, from Samos 1. Said to be in the Barbey collection (Lambrecht 1933: 100); present location unknown (Mlíkovský 2002). TYPE HORIZON. — Late Miocene (MN 11) (Mlíkovský 2002). TYPE LOCALITY. — Samos 1, Samos Island (southeastern Greece). NEW DIAGNOSIS. — Fossil late Miocene ostrich of large size, only smallerthan <i>S. novorossicus</i>, more bipedal, with better developed fourth toe; more robust pedal phal. in comparison to <i>S. camelus</i>. OTHER MATERIALEXAMINED. — Kalimantsi:tmt. dex. dist. (epiphysis, completearticular end) ad., NMNHS 16371 (Fig. 2); fromthe middle Turolian of the fossiliferous area near Kalimantsi village (Blagoevgrard Region, 43.17'N, 27.44'E; UTM grid: NH 59; <i>c.</i> 300 m a.s.l.). — Hadzhidimovo: phal. 1 dig. 3 ped. sin. (almost complete) ad., NMNHS 16372 (Fig. 2); from the base of the middle Turolian or the early-middle Turolian boundary at Tumbichkite (HD-2), near the town of Hadzhidimovo (Blagoevgrard Region, 41.30'N, 23.52'E; UTM grid: GM 30; 500 m a.s.l.). Both sites represent the richest Bulgarian localities of the so-called " <i>Hipparion</i> -fauna". The two specimens are morphometrically similar to each other, and theirrelatively closechronostratigraphic position indicates that they are referrable to the same fossil species. Both specimens were collected in the 1980's by D. Kovachev. LOCALITIES. — Thefossiliferous area around Kalimantsi village in the Middle Struma basin covers a large region (<i>c.</i> 6 km 2) of late Miocene depositsincluding more than 10 known fossil mammal localities (labelled KM sites). Recentbiostratigraphicrevisiondemonstrates thatall KM sites are of Turolian age. KM-1, belonging to the newly established Gradishte lithocomplex, is likely to yield a fauna of early Turolian age, while other KM faunas (referred to the Strumyani Genetic Lithocomplex) are consideredto belong tothe middle Turolian (Tzankov <i>et al.</i> 2005; Spassov <i>et al.</i> 2006). Themiddle Turolian [...]
Three partial fossils of avian feathers from the Middle Miocene locality of fossil flora and faun... more Three partial fossils of avian feathers from the Middle Miocene locality of fossil flora and fauna near Satovcha village (SW Bulgaria) are presented.
Data on the formation and history of the recent Bulgarian avifauna are scarce. The Holocene avifa... more Data on the formation and history of the recent Bulgarian avifauna are scarce. The Holocene avifauna ofthe country with a few exceptions has not been a subject to special investigations so far. Twenty one species have been reported in Pleistocene deposits and 14 of the Holocene, counted until the 7000 B.C. (BOEV, 1992). During Quaternary 3 bird species vanished from the Bulgarian fauna: Lagopus mutus (Montin) and Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax (L.) established by BOCHENSKI (1982) and Tetrao tetrix (L.) reported by H. (1985 a) and 3. (1988, 1993). In the last 40 years another 10 species have been disappeared as nesting in the country: Pelecanus onocrotalus L.(, 1985 a), Haliaetus albicilla L.(, 1985), Gypaetus barbatus L.(, 1985 6),Aegypius monachus L.(, 1985, Grusgrus L.(, 1985 Q),Anthropoides virgo L.(, 1985 ), Otis tarda L.(, 1985 g), Otis tetrax L. (, 1985 ), Gallinago gallinago (L.);(, 1985), Glaucidiumpasserinum (L.)(, 1985), and a subspecies—Phasianus colchicus colchicus L. has lost ...
A new species of griffon vulture (Gyps bochenskii sp. n.) is described from the Late Pliocene (Mi... more A new species of griffon vulture (Gyps bochenskii sp. n.) is described from the Late Pliocene (Middle Villafranchian) deposits of a locality near Varshets (NW Bulgaria). The site was discovered in 1987 and has the richest Late Pliocene (MN 17) vertebrate fauna in Europe. The more than 71 avian species are indicative of a forest-steppe landscape. Petrophylous species are widely represented among the fossil material. The fi nds represent the oldest remains of a griffon vulture, with four skeletal elements: sternum (coracoidal and costal parts), coracoid dex. (humeral and sternal parts), phalanx dist. dig. I pedis sin. and phalanx dist. dig. majoris sin. These remains verify the presence of vultures, and griffon vultures in particular, in Europe (and the Palearctic) before the glacial events of the Pleistocene. The morphology distinguishes (holotype, sternum) the specimens from recent species of Gyps by: steeply orientation of linea intermuscularis; relatively thicker incisurae interco...
The full taxonomic list of the avifaunas of 14 both human (towns, villas, castles, caves, etc.) a... more The full taxonomic list of the avifaunas of 14 both human (towns, villas, castles, caves, etc.) and non-human sites from the Roman period in the present day Bulgarian lands is presented. The examined material consists of 2736 bone remains of at least 422 individuals. The species composition includes 86 taxa (of 14 orders), six of them, Pelecanus onocrotalus, Gypaetus barbatus, Phasianus colchicus (the native autochtonic subspecies, P. c. colchicus), Grus grus, Otis tarda, and Tetrax tetrax, disappeared from the present day country's breeding avifauna. Five forms of domesticated birds (Anser anser domestica, Anas platyrhynchos domestica, Gallus gallus domestica, Pavo cristatus domestica, and Columba livia domestica) have been established. The remains of domestic fowl prevail in most of the sites.
NIKOLOV and STEFFEN OPPEL Diet is not related to productivity but to territory occupancy in a dec... more NIKOLOV and STEFFEN OPPEL Diet is not related to productivity but to territory occupancy in a declining population of Egyptian Vultures Neophron percnopterus. Bird Conservation International, Available on CJO 2015 doi:10.1017/S0959270915000155
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