The Breeding of Scops Owl (Otus Scops) in Iaşi County (Eastern Romania). A Habitat Selectivity Study

Abstract

Scops Owl (Otus scops) is a small sized owl that is a summer visitor and a breeding species in Romania. It underwent a moderate decline in Europe in the last decades, probably due to habitat loss. In Romania, it is a poorly studied species of birds. Breeding data were uncertain for Iași County. During 2010 and 2012, we identified a number of 26 Scops Owl territories. In each territory, we mapped the habitats on an area that followed a radius of 200 m from the observed bird. Thus, we identified a number of 15 habitats. From all 15 habitats mapped, the open pastures with isolated clumps of trees and bushes were best represented (15.53%) of the total habitat types of the study area. Also, in Iași County we observed a sinantropism of Scops Owl, due to the fact that 10 out of 26 territories (38.5%) are situated in anthropic habitat.