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Use of dwarf shrubland–grassland mosaics by a nomadic predatory bird: the Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus

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Abstract

The constituent habitat use by remotely tracked tagged Short-eared Owls Asio flammeus on moorland and other dwarf shrubland–grassland mosaics was assessed in Britain and Norway. A preference for the owls to hunt over patches of graminoids within managed moorland in Britain contrasted with a tendency to hunt more over dwarf shrubs in Norway. The observed differences likely reflect the availability of small mammal prey and how this contrasts between largely single-species stands of managed heather Calluna vulgaris in Britain and more naturally diverse (species and structure) dwarf shrubland in Norway. Diurnal patterns of landscape use differed between areas, with owls in Scotland and Norway tending to hunt over ground at higher elevations at night but the reverse being observed in England. The difference demonstrates behavioural plasticity of Short-eared Owls, potentially driven by minimising risks from predation within different areas. Conservation implications include increased and proportionate priority for grassland management on British moorlands and the restoration of natural montane dwarf shrublands, both routes to enhance conditions for and the availability of small mammal prey. As a generality, site protection for Short-eared Owls and their monitoring need to acknowledge uncertainties around variations in abundance and occupation by this nomadic species.

Zusammenfassung

Nutzung von Zwergstrauch-Grasland-Mosaiken durch einen nomadischen Greifvogel, die Sumpfohreule Asio flammeus

In Großbritannien und Norwegen wurde untersucht, welche Bereiche des Habitats von mit Sendern verfolgten Sumpfohreulen Asio flammeus in Moorgebieten und anderen Zwergstrauch-Grasland-Mosaiken genutzt wurden. Im Gegensatz zur Vorliebe der Sumpfohreulen in Großbritannien, über grasartigen Flächen in bewirtschafteten Moorgebieten zu jagen, gingen Sumpfohreulen in Norwegen eher über Zwergstrauchflächen auf Beutefang. Die beobachteten Unterschiede spiegeln wahrscheinlich die Verfügbarkeit von Kleinsäugerbeute und die Unterschiede zwischen weitgehend artenreinen Beständen bewirtschafteter Besenheidenflächen (Calluna vulgaris) in Großbritannien und den in Norwegen vorkommenden, von Natur aus vielfältigeren (hinsichtlich Arten und Strukturen), Zwergstrauchflächen wider. Die tageszeitlichen Muster der Habitatnutzung unterschieden sich zwischen den Gebieten: Während die Sumpfohreulen in Schottland und Norwegen dazu tendierten, nachts in größeren Höhen über dem Boden zu jagen, wurde das Gegenteil in England beobachtet. Diese Gegensätze demonstrieren Verhaltensplastizität bei Sumpfohreulen, die möglicherweise darauf zurückzuführen ist, dass die Eulen dadurch das Risiko von Prädation innerhalb der verschiedenen Gebiete minimieren. Für den Naturschutz bedeutet dies, dass der Bewirtschaftung von Grasland in britischen Moorgebieten und der Renaturierung natürlicher montaner Zwergstrauchflächen eine höhere und angemessene Priorität eingeräumt werden muss, um die Bedingungen für und die Verfügbarkeit von Kleinsäugerbeute zu verbessern. Generell müssen beim Schutz von Sumpfohreulen und beim Monitoring die Unsicherheiten hinsichtlich Schwankungen in der Häufigkeit und der Verbreitung dieser nomadisch lebenden Art berücksichtigt werden.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the many individuals who have help find and tag owls and discussed ideas, and the landowners and managers who have granted access for fieldwork. Particular thanks are due to Dave Southall, Terry Southall, John Fitzpatrick, Jean Fitzpatrick, Alex Penn and Colin Shand for their help with fieldwork. Funding and other support was from many individual donors, the Abertbrothock Skea Trust, AEB Trust, Arran Natural History Society, British Birds Charity, Callander SWT group, DOPP (BirdLife Slovenia), Gilman Trust, the Henry Robb bequest, J & JR Wilson Trust, Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre, Muncaster Castle, NBI Ljubljana, Newstead Charity, Sound Approach, Stirling SOC group, Tan International, Tayside Raptor Study Group, Tay Ringing Group, to all of whom we are most grateful. We thank two anonymous reviewers for their comments improving the manuscript.

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  1. British Trust for Ornithology, Beta Centre (Unit 15), Stirling University Innovation Park, Stirling, FK9 4NF, Scotland

    John Calladine & Anthony Wetherhill

  2. Clyde Ringing Group, c/o British Trust for Ornithology, Beta Centre (Unit 15), Stirling University Innovation Park, Stirling, FK9 4NF, Scotland

    Chris Southall

  3. Tay Ringing Group, c/o British Trust for Ornithology, Beta Centre (Unit 15), Stirling University Innovation Park, Stirling, FK9 4NF, Scotland

    Neil Morrison

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  1. John Calladine
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Correspondence to John Calladine.

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Birds were caught, handled and tagged under licences held by trained personnel led by John Calladine (licence number 3402 of the British bird ringing scheme).

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Calladine, J., Southall, C., Wetherhill, A. et al. Use of dwarf shrubland–grassland mosaics by a nomadic predatory bird: the Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus. J Ornithol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-024-02174-z

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