Infanticide and cannibalism by parents of the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos): a case report in Sicily
References
- Aguilera, E. 1990. Parental infanticide by White Spoonbills Platalea leucorodia. – Ibis 132(1): 124–125. DOI: 10.1111/j.1474-919X.1990.tb01025.x
- Bortolotti, G. R., Wiebe, K. L. & Iko, W. M. 1991. Cannibalism of nestling American Kestrels by their parents and siblings. – Canadian Journal of Zoology 69(6): 1447–1453. DOI: 10.1139/z91-205
- Bose, A. P. H. 2022. Parent – offspring cannibalism throughout the animal kingdom: a review of adaptive hypotheses. – Biological Reviews 97(5): 1868–1885. DOI: 10.1111/brv.12868
- Brown, L. H., Gargett, V. & Steyn, P. 1977. Breeding success in some African eagles related to theories about sibling aggression and its effects. – Ostrich 48(3–4): 65–71. DOI: 10.1080/00306525.1977.9634083
- Caro, J. 2014. Cannibalism in Bonelli’s Eagle (Aquila fasciata). – Journal of Raptor Research 48(3): 292–294. DOI: 10.3356/JRR-13-87.1
- Collopy, M. W. 1980. Food Consumption and Growth Energetics of Nestling Golden Eagles. – PhD Dissertation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Collopy, M. W. 1984. Parental care and feeding ecology of Golden Eagle nestling. – Auk 101(4): 753–760. DOI: 10.2307/4086902
- Edwards, T. C. & Collopy, M. W. 1983. Obligate and facultative brood reduction in eagles: an examination of factors that influence fratricide. – Auk 100(3): 630–635. DOI: 10.1093/auk/100.3.630
- Ellis, D. H. 1979. Development of behavior in the Golden Eagle. – Wildlife Monographs 70: 3–94.
- Franke, A., Galipeau, P. & Nikolaiczuk, L. 2013. Brood reduction by infanticide in Peregrine Falcons. – Arctic 66(2): 226–229. DOI: 10.14430/arctic4295
- Garcìa-Dios, I. S. 2003. Siblicide and cannibalism in the Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) in the Tietar Valley, central Spain. – Journal of Raptor Research 37(3): 261.
- Gargett, V. 1990. The Black Eagle. – Randburg & Halfway House, Acom Books & Russel Friedman Books
- Gonzàlez, L., Margalida, A., Sànchez, R. & Oria, J. 2006. Supplementary feeding as an effective tool for improving breeding success in the Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aquila adalberti). – Biological Conservation 129(4): 477–486. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2005.11.014
- Haraszthy, L., Bagyura, J. & Szitta, T. 1996. Zum Kainismus des Schreiadlers Aquila pomarina und seiner Verhinderung. On the cainism of the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) and its prevention. – In: Meyburg, B.-U. & Chancellor, R. D. (eds.) Eagle Studies – World Working Group on Birds of Prey, Berlin, London & Paris, pp. 257–265. (in German)
- Hrdy, S. B. 1979. Infanticide among animals: a review, classification, and examination of the implications for reproductive strategies of females. – Ethology and Sociobiology 1(1): 13–40. DOI: 10.1016/0162-3095(79)90004-9
- Ingram, C. 1959. The importance of juvenile cannibalism in the breeding biology of certain birds of prey. – Auk 76(2): 218–226. DOI: 10.2307/4081778
- Kevles, B. 1986. Females of the Species: Sex and Survival in the Animal Kingdom. – Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA USA.
- Klug, H. & Bonsall, M. B. 2007. When to care for, abandon, or eat your offspring: the evolution of parental care and filial cannibalism. – The American Naturalist 170(6): 886–901. DOI: 10.1086/522936
- Korňan, M. & Macek, M. 2011. Parental infanticide followed by cannibalism in Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). – Journal of Raptor Research 45(1): 95–96. DOI: 10.3356/JRR-09-77.1
- Lewis, S. B. 2017. Siblicide, parental infanticide and cannibalism at a Northern Goshawk nest. – Journal of Raptor Research 51(4): 476–479. DOI: 10.3356/JRR-17-22.1
- Markham, A. C. & Watts, B. D. 2007. Documentation of infanticide and cannibalism in Bald Eagles. – Journal of Raptor Research 41(1): 41–44. DOI: 10.3356/0892-1016(2007)41[41:DOIACI]2.0.CO;2
- Meyburg, B.-U., Graszynki, K., Langgemach, T., Sömmer, P. & Bergmanis, U. 2008. Cainism, nestling management in Germany in 2004–2007 and satellite tracking of juveniles in the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina). – Slovak Raptor Journal 2: 53–72. DOI: 10.2478/v10262-012-0018-2
- Meyburg, B.-U. 1974a Sibbling aggression and mortality among nestling eagles. – Ibis 116(2): 224–228.
- Meyburg, B.-U. 1974b Zur Brutbiologie und taxonomischen Stellung des Schreiadlers [On the breeding biology and taxonomic position of the Lesser Spotted Eagle]. – Falke 21: 126–134, 166–171. (in German)
- Mociño-Deloya, E., Setser, K., Pleguezuelos, J. M., Kardon, A. & Lazcano, D. 2009. Cannibalism of nonviable offspring by postparturient Mexican Lance-headed Rattlesnakes, Crotalus polystictus. – Animal Behaviour 77(1): 145–150. DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.09.020
- Mock, D. W. 1984. Infanticide, siblicide, and avian nestling mortality. – In: Hausfater, G. & Hrdy, S. B. (eds.) Infanticide: Comparative and Evolutionary Perspectives. – Aldine Publishing Company, Hawthorne, NY U.S.A. pp. 3–30.
- Newton, I. 1979. Population Ecology of Raptors. – Buteo Books, Vermillion, SD USA
- Polis, G. A. & Myers, C. A. 1985. A survey of intraspecific predation among reptiles and amphibians. – Journal of Herpetology 19(1): 99–107. DOI: 10.2307/1564425
- Real, J. 1991. L’àliga perdiguera Hieraaetus fasciatus a Catalunya: status, ecologìa tròfica, biologia reproductora y demografìa [The Perdiguera League Hieraaetus fasciatus in Catalonia: Status, Trophic Ecology, Reproductive Biology and Demography]. – PhD Dissertation, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain (in Spanish)
- Redondo, T., Romero, J. M., Díaz-Delgado, R. & Nagy, J. 2019. Broodmate aggression and life history variation in accipitrid birds of prey. – Ecology and Evolution 9(16): 9185–9206. DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.5466
- Rosenfield, R. N. & Papp, J. M. 1988. Subadult intrusion and probable infanticide at a Cooper’s Hawk nest. – Wilson Library Bulletin 100(3): 506–507.
- Sakaguchi, H. & Chiba, K. 1988. Observations of sibling competition and the post-fledging return of a Golden Eaglet to the eyrie. – Aquila Chrysaetos 6: 28–29.
- Simmons, R. 1988. Offspring quality and the evolution of cainism. – Ibis 130(3): 339–357. DOI: 10.1111/j.1474-919x.1988. tb08809.x
- Simmons, R. 1989. The Cain and Abel riddle in eagles and other birds. – African Journal of Wildlife Research 43(1): 35–43.
- Solaro, C. & Sarasola, H. 2012. First observation of infanticide and cannibalism in nest of Chimango Caracara (Milvago chimango). – Journal of Raptor Research 46(4): 412–413. DOI: 10.3356/JRR-11-33.1
- St. Clair, C. C., Waas, J. R., St. Clair, R. C. & Boag, P. T. 1995. Unfit mothers? Maternal infanticide in Royal Penguins. – Animal Behaviour 50(5): 1177–1185. DOI: 10.1016/0003-3472(95)80034-4
- Steenhof, K. 1983. Prey weights for computing percent biomass in raptor diets. Journal of Raptor Research 17: 15–27. Stinson, C. 1979. On the selective advantage of fratricide in raptors. – Evolution 33(4): 1219–1225. DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1979.tb04775.x
- Thaler, E. & Pechlaner, H. 1980. Cainism in the Lammergeier or Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus aureus at Innsbruck Alpenzoo. – International Zoo Yearbook 20(1): 278–280. DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-1090.1980.tb00994.x
- Tortosa, F. S. & Redonto, T. 1992. Motives for parental infanticide in White Storks Ciconia ciconia. – Ornis Scandinavica 23(2): 185–189. DOI: 10.2307/3676447
- Urrutia, L. P. & Drummond, H. 1990. Brood reduction and parental infanticide in Heermann’s Gull. – Auk 107(4): 772–774. DOI: 10.2307/4088010
- Watson, J. 2010. The Golden Eagle. 2nd ed. – T. & AD. Poyser, London, United Kingdom
- Webster, A., Cooke, R., Jameson, G. & Wallis, R. 1999. Diet, roosts and breeding of Powerful Owl Ninox strenua in a disturbed, urban environment: a case for cannibalsm? Or a case of infanticide? – Emu 99(1): 80–83. DOI: 10.1071/MU99009D
- Wiemeyer, S. N. 1981. Captive propagation of Bald Eagles at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and introductions into the wild, 1976–80. – Raptor Research 15(3): 68–82.
- Zieliński, P. 2002. Brood reduction and parental infanticide – are the White Stork Ciconia ciconia and the Black Stork C. nigra exceptional? – Acta Ornithologica 37(2): 113–119. DOI: 10.3161/068.037.0207
Language: English
Page range: 246 - 252
Submitted on: Oct 24, 2025
Accepted on: Jan 21, 2026
Published on: Jun 6, 2026
Published by: MME/BirdLife Hungary
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 2 issues per year
Keywords:
Related subjects:
© 2026 Massimiliano Di Vittorio, Salvatore Calcò, Nicolò Isidoro Romano, Daniela Campobello, published by MME/BirdLife Hungary
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.