Drought and disease trigger novel interactions among top predators.

Drought conditions enable lynx to prey heavily on kites, a top predatory raptor, after rabbit prey declined due to disease, revealing a novel predator interaction.

• Why it matters: Understanding how climatic stressors influence interactions among top predators is crucial, as these shifts can cascade through ecosystems and alter ecological roles.
• What they did: The study observed that under drought, lynx preyed on kites exclusively when rabbit remains were found near nests, after decades of neutral coexistence, indicating a change in predator behavior.
• The result: This predation reduced raptor reproductive success and caused territory abandonment, with increased small owl abundance suggesting potential impacts across lower trophic levels.