Neo‐Taphonomic Analysis of Prey Bone Remains Accumulated by Golden Eagle ( <scp> <i>Aquila chrysaetos</i> </scp> ): A Case of Nests in Southern France

ABSTRACT The golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ) nests in rock cavities where it accumulates prey bone remains during the breeding season. Because nests can be reoccupied from year to year, these faunal elements can form remarkable bone accumulations and, in the sub‐fossil record, be mixed with assemblages derived from human or other predator activities. The neo‐taphonomic characterization of golden eagle prey bone remains aims to distinguish the contribution of this large raptor within a faunal assemblage. This study provides new multi‐taxa taphonomic data, mainly based on modern uneaten food remains, supplemented by pellet bone remains. The material was collected from 26 nesting sites in southern France and consists of over 4000 remains belonging to more than 250 prey. The results highlight a selection of prey under 5 kg, dominated by leporids, medium‐sized birds, roe deer fawns, and red fox cubs. The anatomical parts most commonly found in nests are the hindquarters of hares, the legs and heads of fawns, the heads of fox cubs, and the sternum and pelvic girdle of birds. Bone surfaces of non‐ingested remains were slightly altered by meat consumption, but recurrent marks were observed, such as fractures of vertebral apophyses and fractures of hare fibulae, perforations of fox skulls, avian sternums and pelvic bones, and fractures of the pelvic girdle, scapulae and avian sternum. As noted by previous authors, pellets yielded few bones, most of which were highly digested.