Eleonora’s falcon trophic interactions with insects within its breeding range: a systematic review

Eleonora’s falcon (Falco eleonorae) has a unique ecology that makes it ideal for studying predator–prey dynamics. Its diet shifts seasonally, with insects dominating the non-breeding and pre-laying periods, and birds becoming the main prey during chick-rearing. This systematic review explores the falcon’s foraging behavior during the pre-breeding and breeding phases within its global breeding range, emphasizing insect prey. Following PRISMA guidelines, the review includes studies from ten Mediterranean countries and the Canary Islands. Literature was sourced from Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus, covering both peer-reviewed and grey literature up to 2024. From 18 scientific publications and personal observations, 120 insect species and morphospecies from 47 families were recorded as prey. Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera were the most frequent insect orders. Migratory species such as Acherontia atropos, Anax parthenope, and Anax ephippiger were also documented. This review contributes valuable knowledge for future studies on the dietary ecology of Eleonora’s falcon and similar raptors.