Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.21857/m16wjcnxx9
A five-year (2018 – 2022) study of the Eagle Owl Bubo bubo in Croatia. The recolonisation and number estimates of the Eagle Owl in lowland Croatia.
Biljana Ječmenica
orcid.org/0000-0003-2882-6528
; Croatian Veterinary Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
Petra Čulig
; Association Biom, Zagreb, Croatia
Luka Meštrović
; Public Institution Natura Histrica, Pula, Croatia
Ivan Budinski
; Association Biom, Zagreb, Croatia
Vedran Lucić
orcid.org/0000-0002-1331-8443
; Hanamanova 16a, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The Eagle Owl Bubo bubo is one of the largest owl species in Europe
and Asia. It mainly inhabits rocky areas with suitable cliffs, where it
nests. The global population trend is declining. In Croatia, the largest
part of the population breeds in the Mediterranean. The population in
the lowland part was extinct in the first half of the 20th century, but recently
they have been observed breeding again. The aim of this paper
was to present the results of a five-year study of the Eagle Owl in three
parts of Croatia: the lowland, the Primorje and Gorski kotar; and Istria.
From 2018 to 2022, educated volunteers collected data about the Eagle
Owl active territories by listening to spontaneous singing from 1st February
until 15th March. A total of 485 visits were made to 154 locations,
and 60 active territories of the Eagle Owl were found. The estimated
size of the breeding populations in the lowland part is 32 to 45 active
territories, while for Primorje and Gorski kotar, as well as Istria, further
research ought to be conducted in order to estimate the population size.
Keywords
Eagle Owl Bubo bubo; passive survey; volunteers; quarry; census
Hrčak ID:
293580
URI
Publication date:
10.2.2023.
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