Habitat Selection of Eurasian Scops Owl<i>Otus scops</i>on the Northern Border of Its Range, in Europe

Denac, Katarina

doi:10.5253/078.097.0419

Cited by 7 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…nesting in old trees in gardens next to houses. Denac (2009), for example, reports that at Ljubljansko barje Scops Owls regularly called from large old trees in farmyards (e.g. Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum, Largeleaved Lime Tilia platyphyllos, Small-leaved Lime Tilia cordata), and that two nests were found in extensively Unauthenticated Download Date | 5/9/18 7:23 PM managed orchards, located next to houses.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the last few decades, urbanisation changed the architecture of settlements and rural houses very much (Zelnik 2008). Building of new houses, loss of abandoned rural buildings, renovation of old houses in the way which does not maintain the breeding niches in the walls, and removal of old (fruit) trees from gardens together with introduction of ornamental shrubs and dwarf trees, all lead to reduced availability of nests for Scops Owl (Rubinič et al 2008, Denac 2009). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indicators of traditional farmland, such as length of hedgerows and landscape mosaics, predicted Scops Owl occurrence at the settlement and territory scales. Farmland rich in hedgerows may benefit Scops Owl in providing hunting perches, nesting holes, places for day roosting and a diversified landscape rich in prey (Rubinič et al 2008, Denac 2009, Sergio et al 2009. Similarly, high degree of landscape mosaics is important for smaller species such as the Scops Owl (Streit & Kalotás 1991, Galeotti & Gariboldi 1994, Keller & Parrag 1996, since it offers welldiversified entomofauna in small area (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At Ljubljansko barje, the intensification of farmland and urbanisation are estimated to be the two major threats to this species (Denac 2009), while in Goričko the intensification of farmland, especially through land consolidation, is probably the cause for the recent steep decline of Scops Owl population (Denac et al 2011b). In the wider area of Kras, Scops Owl is still widespread in some areas, but an overall population decline was noted in the 2006−2010 period (Rubinič et al 2006& 2008, Denac et al 2010.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The impact of environmental factors on distribution of Scops Owl Otus scops in the wider area of Kras (SW Slovenia)

Šušmelj¹

2011

Acrocephalus

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The aim of the study was to determine the key environmental factors affecting Scops Owl Otus scops occurrence in the wider Kras plateau area (SW Slovenia, 665 km 2 ). Scops Owl was systematically censused in 2006 (180 calling males) and in 2008 (167 calling males). Males were distributed either solitarily or clumped in groups, mostly situated in villages and its surroundings, indicating the species' synanthropic character. Crude densities were 0.3 males/km 2 in 2006 and 2008, respectively, while ecological densities were 1.0 males/km 2 in 2006 and 0.9 males/km 2 in 2008. Population distribution remained roughly the same in both years, with the highest densities in the western and central parts of the Kras plateau, on Kraški rob and on Podgorski kras plateau. Habitat selection was analyzed at three spatial scales (regional, settlement and territory scales), based on spatial data layers (22 environmental variables), using Chi-square goodnessof-fit test and logistic regression. Results revealed that at the regional scale, Scops Owl preferably selected open habitats (extensively managed orchards, built-up areas, vineyards, permanent grasslands) and avoided dense forest and agricultural land with forest trees. As far as settlements were concerned, Scops Owl was more prone to select those that were more distant from the highway, with better preserved traditional agricultural landscape (with more hedgerows) and with higher average annual air temperature. In territory selection, Scops Owl occurrence was associated with longer distance from the highway, larger number of old buildings and higher landscape mosaics. The species seems to be threatened by traffic noise, habitat loss through abandonment and intensification of land and, potentially, by lack of breeding niches within settlements. Conservation measures should include the preservation of mosaic farmland, promotion of extensive agricultural practices, prevention of scrub and forest expansion, and maintenance of breeding niches (old trees, cavities in buildings).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The impact of environmental factors on distribution of Scops Owl Otus scops in the wider area of Kras (SW Slovenia)

Šušmelj¹

2011

Acrocephalus

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“…This threatened species is associated with a mosaic of land use categories, and spatial variation in Scops Owl distribution reflects the gradient of intensification of agricultural practices (Denac 2009). This is consistent with the hypothesis that Scops Owl declines have been driven by agricultural change (Arlettaz 1990;Arlettaz et al 1991;Bavoux et al 1997), a continent-wide process that has caused enormous reductions in European bird populations (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat selection in a changing environment: the relationship between habitat alteration and Scops Owl (Aves: Strigidae) territory occupancy

Treggiari¹,

Gagliardone²,

Pellegrino³

et al. 2013

Italian Journal of Zoology

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The Scops Owl Otus scops (L., 1758) is a species of European concern, which suffered a noticeable decrease in distribution in the last decades, and changes in agricultural practices have been proposed as a major threat for this owl. We studied the habitat preference of the Scops Owl by assessing the habitat occupancy of 401 territories distributed in a large area in northwest Italy, with a special focus on 98 territories located in a high-density area (Monferrato). Habitat characteristics were analyzed with maximum entropy (MAXENT) models that included both vegetational (16 land use categories) and physical features estimated from a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) (altitude, slope, hillshade). In the Monferrato area, a comparison of 2009 landcover was also made with year 1954/55 characteristics obtained from aerial photographs. In the full northwest Italy area, the Scops Owl preferred areas located at middle altitude with intermediate slope. The preferred habitats included riparian areas and pasture-grassland, while woodlands and zones with Robinia pseudoacacia shrublands were avoided. In the Monferrato area, Scops Owl occupancy occurred in sites where the landuse (croplands/vineyard mosaic) had changed little since the mid-1950s. Our study suggests that conservation activity should focus on interventions halting riparian zone transformation and subsidies promoting agricultural practices favouring pastures and grassland.

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The demography of an increasing insular Eurasian Scops Owl (Otus scops) population in western France

Barbraud

Bavoux²,

Burneleau³

2021

Ibis

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Rapid population declines of many long-distance Afro-Palaearctic migratory bird species are ongoing across Europe but the demographic drivers are often poorly understood, thereby limiting the development of appropriate conservation actions. Using long-term population monitoring (39 years), capture-mark-recapture data and a matrix model, we estimated demographic parameters and the effect of climate variables on adult survival, and modelled the dynamics of an increasing population of Eurasian Scops Owls Otus scops in a landscape with agricultural abandonment in western France. The observed mean annual population growth rate was 1.055 (from 68 to 523 territorial males between 1981 and 2019). Over the study period, clutch size and hatching success were stable, but fledging success and breeding success showed slight negative trends, probably due to density-dependence. Survival varied with age, with an increase during early life and evidence for rapid senescence from 4 years old. Adult survival remained stable and was positively linked to the amount of autumn rainfall in the Sahel and to the winter North Atlantic Oscillation. Survival of younger age-classes made the largest contribution to the variance of the population growth rate, followed by clutch size, fledging success and survival of older birds. Such a long-term population increase in a landscape where intensive agriculture has decreased by 64.6% sheds some new light on the causes of the decline of European Scops Owl and other Afro-Palaearctic bird populations. We infer some of the possible causes of this large-scale decline, in particular food shortage, and discuss conservation measures that could be applicable to reverse this trend.

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Habitat Selection of Eurasian Scops OwlOtus scopson the Northern Border of Its Range, in Europe

Abstract: BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Cited by 7 publications

References 3 publications

The impact of environmental factors on distribution of Scops Owl Otus scops in the wider area of Kras (SW Slovenia)

The impact of environmental factors on distribution of Scops Owl Otus scops in the wider area of Kras (SW Slovenia)

Habitat selection in a changing environment: the relationship between habitat alteration and Scops Owl (Aves: Strigidae) territory occupancy

The demography of an increasing insular Eurasian Scops Owl (Otus scops) population in western France

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