First evidence of hunting of a Crested Indian Porcupine by an avian predator: The Eurasian Eagle Owl

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Ezra Hadad ◽  
Eyal Shochat
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Birds Of Prey ◽  
Potential Prey ◽  
Avian Predator ◽  
Eagle Owl ◽  
Crested Porcupine

Abstract Encounters between birds of prey and porcupines are rarely documented, and so far only in North America. At least 39% of such encounters lead to death of the attacker. We present first evidence for similar encounters between The Eurasian Eagle Owl and the Indian Crested Porcupine, suggesting that young porcupines may occasionally serve as potential prey for the owl.

scholarly journals Changes in the Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) population in Czechia and their association with legal protection

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-44
Author(s):  
Jan Andreska ◽  
Dominik Andreska
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Birds Of Prey ◽  
Early 20Th Century ◽  
Nature Protection ◽  
Predator Species ◽  
Bubo Bubo ◽  
Eagle Owl ◽  
Live Bait

Abstract The article deals with trends in the Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) population in Czechia and the interplay between legal regulation of hunting and nature protection. In the early 20th century, the eagle-owl population in Bohemia decreased to an estimated 20 nesting pairs, and the population in Moravia and Silesia was subsequently estimated to be similarly low. In previous centuries, eagle-owls had been persecuted as pest animals; additionally, their chicks were picked from nests to be kept by hunters for the eagle-owl lure hunting method (“výrovka” in Czech), where they were used as live bait to attract corvids and birds of prey, which were subsequently killed by shooting. As soon as the state of the eagle-owl population was established in the 1900s, the effort to save the autochthonous eagle-owl population commenced. Nevertheless, when eagle-owls became legally protected from killing in the 1930s, the eagle-owl lure hunting method was not prohibited. The intensified use of this hunting method in the 1950s was accompanied by serious decline in the populations of birds of prey in the Czech countryside, when tens of thousands of Eurasian sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus), northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis), common buzzards (Buteo buteo) and rough-legged buzzards (B. lagopus) were killed on a yearly basis. The usage of eagle-owl chicks in lure hunting was criticised by ornithologists concerned with the conservation of birds of prey. The eagle-owl thus became a subject of more general debate on the role of predators in nature, and this debate (albeit regarding other predator species) has continued to the present-day. As the eagle-owl population has been growing steadily following the prohibition of its killing in the 1930s, its story may serve as an example of the need for effective legal protection of predators to ensure their survival in the intensively exploited central-European environment. The article examines the successful preserving of the eagle-owl in the Czech countryside, from its low point in the early 20th century towards today’s stable and ever-increasing population, focusing on environmental, conservationist, legal and societal aspects of the issue.

scholarly journals The First Fossil Owl (Aves, Strigiformes) From the Paleogene of Africa

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
N. Adam Smith ◽  
Thomas A. Stidham ◽  
Jonathan S. Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Ecological Role ◽  
Avian Predator ◽  
First Occurrence ◽  
Stark Contrast

The relatively extensive fossil record of owls (Aves, Strigiformes) in North America and Europe stands in stark contrast to the paucity of fossil strigiformes from Africa. The first occurrence of a fossil owl from the Paleogene of Africa extends the fossil record of this clade on that continent by as much as 25 million years, and confirms the presence of large-sized owls in Oligocene continental faunas. The new fossil is tentatively referred to the Selenornithinae, a clade of large owls previously restricted to Europe. This new fossil owl was likely similar in size to the extant Eagle Owls of the genus Bubo, and suggests that the niche of large, volant, terrestrial avian predator, although relatively rare throughout avian evolutionary history, may be an ecological role that was more common among extinct owls than previously recognized.

Barn Owl (Tyto alba)

EDIS ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2006 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason M. Martin ◽  
Richard N. Raid ◽  
Lyn C. Branch
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Barn Owl ◽  
Birds Of Prey ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Original Publication ◽  
Tyto Alba ◽  
Wildlife Ecology ◽  
The Family ◽  
Barn Owls

Barn owls, members of the family Tytonidae, are unmistakable nocturnal birds of prey. Their ghostly appearance and blood-curdling shriek have led to their incorporation into folklore and myth and have earned these birds a variety of nicknames, including "ghost owl" and "monkey-faced owl." Thirty-six subspecies have been identified worldwide. The subspecies that lives in North America is called Tyto alba pratincola. This document is WEC 185, one of a series of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date September 2005.  WEC 185/UW216: Barn Owl (Tyto alba) (ufl.edu)

scholarly journals Raptor genomes reveal evolutionary signatures of predatory and nocturnal lifestyles

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Sung Cho ◽  
JeHoon Jun ◽  
Jung A Kim ◽  
Hak-Min Kim ◽  
Oksung Chung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genomic Analysis ◽  
Sensory Systems ◽  
Birds Of Prey ◽  
Apex Predators ◽  
Expression Change ◽  
Bubo Bubo ◽  
Genomic Signatures ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Eagle Owl ◽  
Reference Genomes

AbstractBackgroundBirds of prey (raptors) are dominant apex predators in terrestrial communities, with hawks (Accipitriformes) and falcons (Falconiformes) hunting by day, and owls (Strigiformes) hunting by night.ResultsHere, we report new genomes and transcriptomes for 20 species of birds, including 16 species of birds of prey, and high-quality reference genomes for the Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo), oriental scops-owl (Otus sunia), eastern buzzard (Buteo japonicus), and common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). Our extensive genomic analysis and comparisons with non-raptor genomes identified common molecular signatures that underpin anatomical structure and sensory, muscle, circulatory, and respiratory systems related to a predatory lifestyle. Compared with diurnal birds, owls exhibit striking adaptations to the nocturnal environment, including functional trade-offs in the sensory systems (e.g., loss of color vision genes and selection for enhancement of nocturnal vision and other sensory systems) that are probably convergent with other nocturnal avian orders. Additionally, we found that a suite of genes associated with vision and circadian rhythm were differentially expressed between nocturnal and diurnal raptors, indicating adaptive expression change during the transition to nocturnality.ConclusionsOverall, raptor genomes showed genomic signatures associated with the origin and maintenance of several specialized physiological and morphological features essential to be apex predators.

Australian High Country Raptors

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry Olsen
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Birds Of Prey ◽  
Basic Information ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Lower Elevation

Australian High Country Raptors covers raptor species that regularly breed in the high country above 600 metres, from Goulburn in New South Wales down to the hills outside Melbourne, Victoria. Author Jerry Olsen explores the nature of these striking animals that are classified as Accipitriformes (diurnal hawks, falcons, kites and eagles), Falconiformes and Strigiformes (nocturnal owls). Comparisons between these high country raptors and lower-elevation breeders are also provided, in addition to comparisons with raptors found overseas, especially from North America and Europe. The book begins with a description of habitats and vegetation types in the high country, and which raptors are likely to be seen in each habitat type. It continues with sections on finding and watching raptors, raptor identification, hunting styles, food, breeding and behaviour, and conservation. Appendices provide species accounts for diurnal breeding species in the high country, with basic information about their ecology, distribution and conservation, as well as detailed instructions about handling an injured or orphaned raptor. Illustrated throughout with photographs and drawings, Australian High Country Raptors offers readers a chance to look into the lives of Australia’s fascinating birds of prey.

scholarly journals Detecting Population Trends in Migratory Birds of Prey

The Auk ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 124 (3) ◽  
pp. 1047-1062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Farmer ◽  
David J. T. Hussell ◽  
David Mizrahi
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Polynomial Regression ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Geometric Mean ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
Arithmetic Mean ◽  
Population Trends ◽  
Birds Of Prey ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Missing Observation

Abstract Counts of visible migrants at traditional watchsites throughout North America provide an opportunity to augment population-monitoring efforts for birds of prey. We analyzed hourly counts of migrating raptors at one inland (Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Pennsylvania) and one coastal (Cape May Point, New Jersey) watchsite in northeastern North America. Hourly counts of migrants have been collected for 38 years at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and for 28 years at Cape May Point. We compared effort-adjusted, arithmetic-mean passage rates to five geometric-mean indexes for 12 species. We used reparameterized polynomial regression to estimate trends in the indexes and to test the significance of trends from 1976–1978 (average index over three-year period) to 2001–2003. Effort-adjusted, arithmetic-mean indexes corresponded to more sophisticated indexes on the complete data sets but did not perform well on simulated data with missing observation days. We recommend the use of a regression-based, date-adjusted index for the analysis of hawk-count data. This index produced trends similar to other geometric-mean indexes, performed well on data sets simulating reduced sampling frequency, and outperformed other indexes on data sets with large blocks of missing observation days. Correspondence between trends at the watchsites and trends from Breeding Bird Surveys (BBSs) suggests that migration counts provide robust estimates of population trends for raptors. Furthermore, migration counts allow the monitoring of species not detected by BBS and produce trends with greater precision for species sampled by both methods. Analysis of migration counts with appropriate methods holds considerable promise for contributing to the development of integrated strategies to monitor raptor populations. Detección de Tendencias Poblacionales en Aves de Presa Migratorias

scholarly journals Taxonomic status of Cyathostoma nematodes (Nematoda: Syngaminae) parasitizing respiratory tracts of birds of prey and owls in Europe and North America: how many species are there?

2016 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Kanarek ◽  
G. Zaleśny ◽  
J. Sitko ◽  
A. I. Blanco
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Taxonomic Status ◽  
Distinct Species ◽  
Birds Of Prey ◽  
Air Sacs

SummarySo far, the identity of Cyathostoma (Hovorkonema) nematodes collected from respiratory tracts of birds of prey (Accipitriformes, Falconiformes) and owls (Strigiformes) in Europe and North America is extremely inconsistent. Our results, based on analyses of ITS-2 sequences suggest that the Cyathostoma (Hovorkonema) nematodes found in the birds of prey and owls from Central Europe and North America probably belong to the same species, C. (Hovorkonema) americanaChapin, 1925. We are convinced, that described in recent literature high ITS-2 divergence among C. (Hovorkonema) nematodes collected from Europe, has occurred as a result of invalid synonimisation of some C. (Hovorkonema) species. In our opinion C. (Hovorkonema) americana (typically parasites of tracheae and air sacs of raptors) and C. (Hovorkonema) variegatum (Creplin, 1849) (typically parasites of tracheae of cranes and storks) are valid molecular and morphologically distinct species.

scholarly journals Birds in nourishment of eagle-owl (Bubo bubo L.) in Ciscaucasia region

2016 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-31
Author(s):  
L. Gorobets ◽  
V. Yanenko
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Similarity Index ◽  
Birds Of Prey ◽  
Bubo Bubo ◽  
Tawny Owl ◽  
Eagle Owl ◽  
High Level ◽  
Owl Pellets ◽  
Sørensen Index

The article deals with the results of research into species composition of birds whose remains were discovered in Eagle-owl pellets in Ciscaucasia region. The materials collected in three locations of the region have very low similarity index which doesn't exceed 0,1 (Sørensen index). This fact indicates a high level of Eagle-owl polyphagia. During the research, the birds of prey (ex. Goshawk and a Rough-legged buzzard) as well as rare Tawny owl and Long-eared owl were identified. A part of birds in the nourishment of eagle-owls increases during autumnal migrations. The poultry is extremely rare found among Eagle-owl prey.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document