Tracking studies are often used to inform conservation plans and actions. However, species have frequently only been tracked in one or a few localities, whereas space use can be remarkably flexible, especially in long‐lived species with advanced learning abilities. We assessed variability in space use in the Critically Endangered Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus by pooling movement data from three populations across the species’ sub‐Saharan range (in South Africa, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, The Gambia and Mozambique). We estimated minimum convex polygons and kernel density estimators (KDEs) and compared monthly home‐range sizes between breeding and non‐breeding seasons, age‐classes and subspecies, accounting for uneven sampling within groups. Mean (± sd) monthly home‐range sizes (95% KDEs) for adult Hooded Vultures from southern (12 453 ± 21 188 km², n = 82) and eastern Africa (3735 ± 3652 km², n = 24) were 103 and 31 times larger than those of conspecifics from western Africa (121 ± 98 km², n = 48). This may relate partly to subspecific differences, and individuals with small home‐ranges in western Africa and Ethiopia were trapped in urban environments. Regional variation in space use by Hooded Vultures may be linked to flexibility in feeding behaviour (degree of commensalism) which may arise in response to resource availability and persecution in different areas. Age‐class also affected monthly home‐range sizes, with immature birds generally having larger monthly home‐range size estimates than adults. Our results highlight the flexibility of Hooded Vultures in terms of their home‐range sizes and suggest that home‐range sizes differ between populations and individuals, depending on the extent of human commensalism. Our results also reaffirm the importance of international co‐operation in conservation efforts aimed at protecting this wide‐ranging, non‐migratory species.

中文翻译：

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西部，东部和南部非洲的连帽兀Ne猴属的家庭范围每月大小变化

追踪研究通常用于告知保护计划和行动。但是，通常只在一个或几个地方对物种进行追踪，而空间的使用却可以非常灵活，特别是在具有高级学习能力的长寿命物种中。我们评估了极度濒危的连帽秃鹰Necrosyrtes monachus中空间使用的可变性通过汇总来自该物种撒哈拉以南地区的三个种群（在南非，博茨瓦纳，埃塞俄比亚，肯尼亚，冈比亚和莫桑比克）的运动数据。我们估计了最小凸多边形和核密度估计量（KDE），并比较了繁殖季节和非繁殖季节，年龄类别和亚种之间的每月家庭范围大小，从而说明了组内的抽样不均。来自南部（12 453±21 188 km ²，n  = 82）和东部非洲（3735±3652 km ²，n  = 24）的成年连帽秃鹰的平均每月（±sd）家庭活动范围大小（95％KDE）为103比西非的同种异种植物大（121±98 km ²，n = 48）。这可能部分与亚种差异有关，并且西部非洲和埃塞俄比亚的家庭居住范围较小的人被困在城市环境中。连帽秃鹰在空间使用上的区域差异可能与进食行为的灵活性（敬畏度）有关，这种灵活性可能是由于资源获取和不同地区的迫害而产生的。年龄级别也影响每月的家庭范围大小，未成年鸟类通常估计的每月家庭范围大小大于成年。我们的结果凸显了连帽秃鹰在其家庭范围大小方面的灵活性，并表明，种群大小和个体之间的家庭范围大小有所不同，这取决于人类的共鸣程度。