Adrian Naveda-Rodriguez, Edwin Campbell-Thompson, Richard T. Watson, Jennifer McCabe, Felix Hernan Vargas

Understanding the spatial context of animal movements is fundamental for establishment and management of protected areas (PA). However, these data are not readily available for large raptors, particularly for tropical species. We telemetry-tracked 36 captive-reared and wild-rehabilitated Harpia harpyja and estimated dispersal and space use after release in Mesoamerica. We evaluated the effectiveness of PA in the protection of home ranges and examined how individual traits (sex/age), human intervention (captive management/release method) and landscape composition and configuration influenced dispersal and home range using mixed-effects models. Mean post-release dispersal was 29.4 km (95% CI: 22.5-38.5), annual home ranges averaged 1039.5 km2 (95% CI: 627-1941). The home ranges of nine individuals were distributed across three countries. Home ranges were influenced by release method, patch richness, patch and edge density, and contagion. PA in Mesoamerica may not be effective conservation units for this species. Harpy Eagle average home range greatly exceeded the average size of 1115 terrestrial PA (52.7±6.1 km2) in Mesoamerica. Given its spatial requirements, restoration of the Harpy Eagle in Mesoamerica may provide an opportunity to inform the design and management of dynamic conservation concepts, such as biological corridors. Due to their wide use of space, including transboundary, Harpy Eagles conservation efforts may fail if they are not carefully coordinated between the countries involved. Future restoration efforts of umbrella forest-dwelling raptors should select release sites with highly aggregated and poorly interspersed forest. Release sites should have a buffer of approximately 30 km and should be located completely within PA.