Evidence Consistent With Electrocution in Spizaetus isidori (Colombia): Integrating Community-Based Monitoring With Forensic and Molecular Analyses

Background: The Black-and-chestnut Eagle (Spizaetus isidori) is an endangered Andean raptor that is vulnerable to anthropogenic threats, including interactions with electrical infrastructure. Reliable validation of mortality events is essential for conservation planning. Purpose: To investigate a mortality event involving S. isidori identified through community-based monitoring in western Antioquia, Colombia, and to evaluate the evidence supporting electrocution as the probable cause of death. Research Design: This was a forensic case investigation integrating community documentation, molecular identification, and multi-level forensic analysis. Study Sample: The study examined the remains of a single large raptor found beneath a high-voltage power line in western Antioquia, Colombia. Data Collection and/or Analysis: Molecular identification was performed using DNA barcoding based on COI sequences. The forensic assessment included macroscopic examination, radiographic imaging, and feather microstructural analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Results: Molecular analyses confirmed the specimen as S. isidori with high phylogenetic support. The forensic assessment revealed skeletal trauma consistent with high-energy impact, localized feather alterations compatible with thermal exposure, and microstructural damage associated with electrothermal processes. Elemental analyses detected localized accumulations of inorganic elements in structurally altered feather regions, interpreted as supportive but non-diagnostic evidence. Although advanced decomposition limited soft tissue evaluation and precluded histopathological analyses, the convergence of contextual, macroscopic, radiographic, and microstructural evidence was consistent with a diagnosis of probable electrocution. Alternative explanations, including shooting and postmortem scavenging, were considered within the framework of diagnostic uncertainty. Conclusions: Integrating community-based monitoring with molecular and forensic tools provides a robust framework for validating mortality events in threatened species. This approach improves the reliability of biodiversity records and can support conservation strategies in human-modified Andean landscapes.