<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Long-eared owl <italic>Asio otus</italic> is a specialist predator, hunting primarily upon voles <italic>Microtus</italic> spp. Be-cause size of the territory and breeding success of the predator depend on food availability, the number of long-eared owls wintering in a given locality is likely determined by the local abun-dance of voles. The amplitude and regularity of their cycle have been recently diminished and quantitative assessment of such a cycle is currently unavailable. Diet and number of wintering owls were monitored during two winters (2005/06 and 2006/07) in Busko-Zdrój and Pińczów (south-central Poland). It was found that number of voles is still a factor determining number of wintering owls, also every fock in particular locality has its’ own dynamics of owl number. Research on predators’ diet − especially specialists like long-eared owl − is nowadays very important because of vole fluctuation cycle disturbances caused mainly by global warming.</p></abstract>

Long-eared owl Asio otus is a specialist predator, hunting primarily upon voles Microtus spp. Be-cause size of the territory and breeding success of the predator depend on food availability, the number of long-eared owls wintering in a given locality is likely determined by the local abun-dance of voles. The amplitude and regularity of their cycle have been recently diminished and quantitative assessment of such a cycle is currently unavailable. Diet and number of wintering owls were monitored during two winters (2005/06 and 2006/07) in Busko-Zdrój and Pińczów (south-central Poland). It was found that number of voles is still a factor determining number of wintering owls, also every fock in particular locality has its’ own dynamics of owl number. Research on predators’ diet − especially specialists like long-eared owl − is nowadays very important because of vole fluctuation cycle disturbances caused mainly by global warming.

Does the Abundance of Voles <italic>Microtus</italic> spp. Still Determine a Number of Wintering Long-Eared Owls <italic>Asio Otus</italic>?

Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences Al. Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland

Ekológia (Bratislava)

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Does the Abundance of Voles  spp. Still Determine a Number of Wintering Long-Eared Owls ?

Long-eared owl Asio otus is a specialist predator, hunting primarily upon voles Microtus spp. Be-cause size of the territory and breeding success of the...

Does the Abundance of Voles Microtus spp. Still Determine a Number of Wintering Long-Eared Owls Asio Otus?

Published Online: Dec 10, 2014

Page range: 354 - 364

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eko-2014-0032

© 2014 Emilia Grzędzicka

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.