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Alexandre Roulin - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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contamination by neonicotinoid insecticides in barn owls Tyto Alba and alpine swifts tachymarptis melba
Science of The Total Environment, 2021Co-Authors: Segolene Humannguilleminot, Alexandre Roulin, Shirley Laurent, Pierre Bize, Gaetan Glauser, Fabrice HelfensteinAbstract:Abstract Monitoring the extent to which wildlife is exposed to the broadly used neonicotinoid insecticides (NNIs) is essential to assess their potential negative effects on biodiversity. Birds are good subjects to assess such exposure, because they inhabit various habitats and they feed at different trophic levels. However, so far, most studies have focused on the contamination of granivorous species. In this study, we assess the concentrations of five NNIs (acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiacloprid, thiamethoxam) in the carnivorous Barn owl (Tyto Alba), and the insectivorous Alpine swift (Tachymarptis melba). NNIs were measured in the Barn owl in feathers collected from nestlings in 2012 (n = 49 broods) and adults in 2016 (n = 58 individuals), and in the Alpine swift from feathers collected from 50 pooled nestling samples from 50 nests between 2004 and 2017 (nestlings raised in five different nests over ten years; n = 50 broods), plasma samples from adults in 2018 (n = 15), and food boluses collected from nestling provisioning adults in 2018 (n = 12). We found that 69% and 56.9% of Barn owl feathers from nestlings and adults respectively contained at least one NNI at measurable concentration. Mean ± SE and median concentrations (in ppb) of total NNIs were 0.66 ± 1.13 and 0.42 for nestlings, and 0.17 ± 0.57 and 0.04 for adults. In the Alpine swift, although we detected no NNI in nestling feathers, we found that 75% of food boluses and 20% adult plasma samples contained at least one NNI at measurable concentration. Mean ± SE and median concentrations (in ppb) of total NNIs were 0.24 ± 0.20 and 0.24 in food boluses, and 0.06 ± 0.13 and 0 in plasma. In view of these results, further research is warranted to determine the extent of contamination in non-granivorous birds and their potential effects.
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movement ecology breeding diet and roosting behavior of barn owls Tyto Alba in a transboundary conflict region
Regional Environmental Change, 2021Co-Authors: Gabriel Rozman, Alexandre Roulin, Ido Izhaki, Motti CharterAbstract:Transboundary frontiers often contain wildlife habitats that are fractured by geopolitical borders, which could have adverse effects on the wildlife that inhabit those areas. We examined the movement, breeding, roosting, and diet of 15 GPS-tagged barn owls (Tyto Alba) along the Israeli-Jordanian and Israeli-Palestinian Authority borders. Our results showed that 80% of the barn owls hunted across the border. On average, the owls engaged in 5.4 hunting trips per night, 16% of which were cross-border excursions, and they crossed the borders as frequently as expected randomly, highlighting the importance of wildlife protection on all sides. Hunting movement, rather than cross-border activity, had an effect on the annual reproductive success and diet composition. Specifically, female owls that spent more time at the nest and engaged in longer distance hunting trips had higher reproductive success. Eighty percent of the females roosted outside of the nest box at a median distance of 908 m (range = 199–4112 m). Only 13.3% of the owls (2/15 owls) roosted across the border. These results increase our understanding of the movement, breeding, and roosting behavior of a non-migratory avian raptor. However, a serious lack of cooperation and communication between bordering countries hampers our ability to understand the full effects of differing environmental policies on a species that knows no borders.
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exogenous corticosterone and melanin based coloration explain variation in juvenile dispersal behaviour in the barn owl Tyto Alba
PLOS ONE, 2021Co-Authors: Bettina Almasi, Carolina Massa, Lukas Jenni, Alexandre RoulinAbstract:Natal dispersal affects many processes such as population dynamics. So far, most studies have examined the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that determine the distance between the place of birth and of first breeding. In contrast, few researchers followed the first steps of dispersal soon after fledging. To study this gap, we radio-tracked 95 barn owl nestlings (Tyto Alba) to locate their diurnal roost sites from the fledging stage until December. This was used to test whether the age of nest departure, post-fledging movements and dispersal distance were related to melanin-based coloration, which is correlated to fitness-related traits, as well as to corticosterone, a hormone that mediates a number of life history trade-offs and the physiological and behavioural responses to stressful situations. We found that the artificial administration of corticosterone delayed the age when juveniles left their parental home-range in females but not in males. During the first few months after fledging, longer dispersal distances were reached by females compared to males, by individuals marked with larger black feather spots compared to individuals with smaller spots, by larger individuals and by those experimentally treated with corticosterone. We conclude that the onset and magnitude of dispersal is sensitive to the stress hormone corticosterone, melanin-based coloration and body size.
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the rocky mountains as a dispersal barrier between barn owl Tyto Alba populations in north america
Journal of Biogeography, 2018Co-Authors: Ana Paula Machado, Laura Clement, Vera Uva, Jerome Goudet, Alexandre RoulinAbstract:Aim: Geological barriers within a species range play a key role in shaping patterns of genetic variation by restricting gene flow. Mountain ranges are particularly imposing barriers responsible for creating genetic differentiation across multiple taxa, from small amphibians to large mammals and birds. Here, we examined the population structure of North American barn owls (Tyto Alba) and investigated whether the Rocky Mountains influence gene flow and dispersal at the continental scale. Location: Continental North America. Methods: We collected 292 museum samples covering the species range, genotyped them at 20 microsatellite markers and sequenced 410 bp of the mitochondrial gene ND6. Population and landscape genetics tools were used to study range-wide patterns of structure and identify gene flow barriers. Ring recapture data were also analysed to investigate individual movement patterns and frequency of exchanges between both sides of the Rocky Mountains. Results: We found faint overall genetic structure, which is consistent with barn owl's high mobility across its continuous range. Nonetheless, we identified two distinct genetic groups on the western and eastern regions of the Rocky Mountains with a likely contact point through the narrow southern pass between them and the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico. Accordingly, most recaptured barn owls remain on the same side of the mountains. The Rockies appear to significantly isolate the populations in the west, which, as a consequence, display lower genetic diversity than their counterparts to the east. Main conclusions: The Rocky Mountains appear to constrain barn owl dispersal and gene flow. Our study supports the hypothesis that regional landscape barriers can shape gene flow and population structure even in highly mobile organisms.
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the relationship between weather and reproduction of the barn owl Tyto Alba in a semi arid agricultural landscape in israel
Avian Biology Research, 2017Co-Authors: Motti Charter, Kobi Meyrom, Yossi Leshem, Shaul Aviel, Ido Izhaki, Alexandre RoulinAbstract:Even though the Barn Owl (Tyto Alba) is distributed worldwide, little information is available on how weather affects Barn Owl breeding outside of Europe and North America. For instance, if cold temperatures can negatively influence population dynamics in temperate regions, heat could have a similar negative effect in arid regions. We have studied a breeding population of Barn Owls in a semi-arid agricultural environment over 13 years in Israel in order to determine whether lack of rain and hot ambient temperatures impair Barn Owl reproductive success. The percentage of nest boxes occupied by Barn Owls was not related to any of the weather variables, whereas the number of nestlings per Barn Owl pair and the percentage of pairs that succeeded to fledge young was lower in years when it started to rain later in the season and when the minimum daily temperature was higher during the breeding season. In comparison to temperate regions, heat is detrimental to Barn Owl breeding and early precipitation is probably important in boosting vegetation and, in turn, the abundance of small mammals, the Barn Owl's staple food.
Harjanto Daniel - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Penggunaan Serak Jawa (Tyto Alba) sebagai Pengendali Hama Tikus pada Persawahan Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta
UAJY, 2016Co-Authors: Harjanto DanielAbstract:Pada tahun 2009 gagal panen dialami beberapa daerah Kabupaten Sleman, Yogyakarta seperti Kecamatan Moyudan, Kecamatan Minggir, Kecamatan Seyegan, dan Kecamatan Gamping yang disebabkan oleh serangan hama tikus. Serak Jawa (Tyto Alba) merupakan burung pemangsa atau raptor, keberadaan burung pemangsa dalam suatu ekosistem sangat penting karena posisinya sebagai pemangsa puncak dalam piramida atau rantai makanan. Serak Jawa merupakan predator yang potensial untuk mengendalikan hama tikus. Serak Jawa merupakan pemburu khusus mamalia kecil khususnya rodent dan shrew (Soricidae). Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan 3 tujuan yaitu, mengetahui lokasi sarang aktif, populasi, dan mangsa dari Serak Jawa (Tyto Alba) dalam penggunaannya sebagai pengendali hama tikus pada persawahan di Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta. Penelitian dilakukan pada Februari – Juli 2016 di Persawahan Moyudan dan Persawahan Cancangan. Metode survei satwa yang digunakan adalah berdasarkan Barn Owl Survey Protocol, perhitungan populasi dilakukan secara langsung, dan identifikasi mangsa dilakukan berdasarkan tengkorak tikus yang ditemukan dari pelet yang dikumpulkan. Persebaran sarang disajikan dalam bentuk peta menggunakan perangkat lunak Arc View GIS 3.3, populasi dan hasil identifikasi mangsa dianalisis secara deskriptif. Pada persawahan yang menggunakan Serak Jawa secara keseluruhan menerapkan penggunaan nestbox tetapi selama strategi ini dilaksanakan tidak semua Serak Jawa menghuni nestbox. Pada Persawahan Cancangan terdapat 3 sarang aktif semuanya berupa nestbox persawahan. Pada Persawahan Moyudan terdapat 1 lokasi sarang aktif yaitu nestbox pada dinding atap sebuah Sekolah Dasar Ngijon 3. Mangsa Serak Jawa pada penelitian ini dari semua sampel pelet adalah (Tikus Sawah) Rattus argentiveter
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PENGGUNAAN SERAK JAWA (Tyto Alba ) SEBAGAI PENGENDALI HAMA TIKUS PADA PERSAWAHAN DAERAH ISTIMEWA YOGYAKARTA
2016Co-Authors: Harjanto DanielAbstract:Hama tikus sawah (Rattus argentiveter) menyerang tanaman padi pada seluruh fase pertumbuhan tanaman padi serta kemampuan reproduksinya yang cepat merupakan daya rusak yang dapat mengakibatkan gagal panen. Pada tahun 2009 gagal panen dialami beberapa daerah Kabupaten Sleman, Yogyakarta seperti Kecamatan Moyudan, Kecamatan Minggir, Kecamatan Seyegan, dan Kecamatan Gamping yang disebabkan oleh serangan hama tikus. Serak Jawa (Tyto Alba) merupakan burung pemangsa atau raptor, keberadaan burung pemangsa dalam suatu ekosistem sangat penting karena posisinya sebagai pemangsa puncak dalam piramida atau rantai makanan. Serak Jawa merupakan predator yang potensial untuk mengendalikan hama tikus. Serak Jawa merupakan pemburu khusus mamalia kecil khususnya rodent dan shrew (Soricidae). Penelitian penggunaan Serak Jawa sebagai pengendali hama tikus ini dilakukan dengan 3 tujuan yaitu, mengetahui lokasi sarang aktif, populasi, dan mangsa dari Serak Jawa dalam penggunaannya sebagai pengendali hama tikus pada persawahan di Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta. Penelitian dilakukan pada Februari – Juli 2016 di Persawahan Desa Moyudan dan Persawahan Desa Cancangan. Metode survei satwa yang digunakan adalah berdasarkan Barn Owl Survey Protocol, perhitungan populasi dilakukan secara langsung, dan identifikasi mangsa dilakukan berdasarkan tengkorak tikus yang ditemukan dari pelet yang dikumpulkan menggunakan buku Tikus Sawah. Persebaran sarang disajikan dalam bentuk peta menggunakan perangkat lunak Arc View GIS 3.3, populasi dan hasil identifikasi mangsa dianalisis secara deskriptif. Pada persawahan yang menggunakan Serak Jawa secara keseluruhan menerapkan penggunaan nestbox tetapi selama strategi ini dilaksanakan tidak semua Serak Jawa menghuni nestbox. Pada Persawahan Cancangan terdapat 3 sarang aktif semuanya berupa nestbox persawahan. Pada Persawahan Moyudan terdapat 1 lokasi sarang aktif yaitu nestbox pada dinding atap sebuah Sekolah Dasar Ngijon 3. Populasi Serak Jawa pada Persawahan Cancangan pada bulan Mei 2016 mencapai 11 ekor. Mangsa Serak Jawa pada penelitian ini dari semua sampel pelet adalah tikus sawah ( Rattus argentiveter)
Yves Handrich - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Diel feeding strategy during breeding in male Barn Owls (Tyto Alba)
Ringing & Migration, 2016Co-Authors: Bronwyn A. Fancourt, Lillian Mckinley, C Thouzeau, Martin Charter, Anne Roulin, Elior Hadad, Joel M Durant, Sylvie Massemin, Yves Handrich, G. ShawAbstract:During reproduction, birds are confronted with two requirements: building up their energetic reserves during the activity period, and provisioning the nest. Storing reserves imposes a higher flight cost and a lower hunting efficiency. This conflict is accentuated in species such as the Barn Owl (Tyto Alba), where the nest food supply is entirely taken in charge by the male during a long period (ca. 37 days). We tested the prediction that Barn Owl males were postponing their meal to the end of the night in order to fly with a low body mass. Nocturnal changes in body mass (i.e., estimates of feeding events) were monitored remotely on six free-ranging Barn Owl pairs nesting in eastern France using an automated weighing system. Male Barn Owls were gaining the more weight at the end of the night, supporting the prediction that they make their biggest meal after the nest provisioning activities hunting period that is taking place at the beginning of the night.
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composition of the body mass overshoot in european barn owl nestlings Tyto Alba insurance against scarcity of energy or water
Journal of Comparative Physiology B-biochemical Systemic and Environmental Physiology, 2008Co-Authors: Joel M Durant, Mėta M Landys, Yves HandrichAbstract:European barn owl chicks (Tyto Alba) show a body mass overshoot prior to fledging that has been predicted to serve as an energy reservoir during periods of stochastic food availability. However, the composition of the mass overshoot has heretofore not been directly examined in nestlings of this or any other species displaying a body mass overshoot during growth (e.g., raptors and seabirds). To experimentally determine whether the overshoot in body mass in juvenile European barn owls (Tyto Alba) may act as an energy reservoir, we compared the body composition of owl chicks raised on an ad libitum diet to those fed a restricted diet designed to eliminate the overshoot. Chicks raised on the two diets were also compared for differences in maturation of diverse functions (e.g., locomotion) and tissues (e.g., skeletal development). Contrary to expectations, our results on body composition in juvenile barn owls indicate that the mass overshoot prior to fledging is primarily comprised of an increased water compartment. Thus, we suggest that the mass overshoot in owls (and possibly in other species) does not serve as an energy reservoir but, rather, may function as an insurance against dehydration when hot in-nest conditions force chicks to rely on evaporative cooling: temperatures in barn owl nests can reach up to 43°C. We found no significant differences in maturation indexes between diet treatments at the time of fledging
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more eggs the better egg formation in captive barn owls Tyto Alba
The Auk, 2004Co-Authors: Joel M Durant, Sylvie Massemin, Yves HandrichAbstract:Abstract We studied rapid yolk deposition (RYD) in Barn Owls (Tyto Alba) on the basis of the analysis of 26 eggs laid by “dye-dosed” captive female Barn Owls in five different broods. Pictures of yolks were examined to assess daily rates of yolk deposition. We used those data in combination with data from the dissection of ovaries of another five breeding females. We found that the total duration between initiation of RYD and laying of the corresponding egg was only 13.6 days, with an interval between yolk completion and oviposition of 2.4 days. The total number of follicles that may have given eggs was found to be 25. That high number of follicles and the short RYD period explain the particularly high reproductive potential of this nocturnal raptor species.
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growth and food requirement flexibility in captive chicks of the european barn owl Tyto Alba
Journal of Zoology, 1998Co-Authors: Joel M Durant, Yves HandrichAbstract:The growth and the food requirements of the European barn owl ( Tyto Alba ) were studied in three groups of captive chicks. One group of chicks, raised in ad libitum food conditions by their parents, was used to measure body mass and linear growth of a number of structural body components at their characteristic growth rate. A second group of chicks, hand-raised with food ad libitum until fledging, was used to measure food requirement at the characteristic growth rate. A third group, hand-raised with restricted feeding, was used to specify the plasticity of growth and food requirements still compatible with a normal development at fledging. Chicks of both sexes of the first two groups experienced an overshoot in body mass (maximum of 391 g) when approximately 40 days old, followed by a decrease (to a mass of 314 g) until fledging at 60 days old, giving a mass distribution with age in the form of a bell-shaped curve. The daily food intake also showed a bell-shaped curve with a peak value of 80 ± 10 g of fresh mice/day when the body mass was maximum. The decrease of food intake preceding fledging was spontaneous. The average daily food intake was 67 ± 17 g/day between the ages of 20 and 60 days. In the restricted feeding group, however, the same timing for linear growth and fledging was achieved with a 17% reduction of daily food intake. For the same fledging body mass as the ad libitum fed group, there was a flattening of the body mass curve. The significance of the overshoot in body mass and food intake is discussed in terms of the chick's and brood's advantages and in terms of parental investment in this species with hatching asynchrony.
Joel M Durant - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Diel feeding strategy during breeding in male Barn Owls (Tyto Alba)
Ringing & Migration, 2016Co-Authors: Bronwyn A. Fancourt, Lillian Mckinley, C Thouzeau, Martin Charter, Anne Roulin, Elior Hadad, Joel M Durant, Sylvie Massemin, Yves Handrich, G. ShawAbstract:During reproduction, birds are confronted with two requirements: building up their energetic reserves during the activity period, and provisioning the nest. Storing reserves imposes a higher flight cost and a lower hunting efficiency. This conflict is accentuated in species such as the Barn Owl (Tyto Alba), where the nest food supply is entirely taken in charge by the male during a long period (ca. 37 days). We tested the prediction that Barn Owl males were postponing their meal to the end of the night in order to fly with a low body mass. Nocturnal changes in body mass (i.e., estimates of feeding events) were monitored remotely on six free-ranging Barn Owl pairs nesting in eastern France using an automated weighing system. Male Barn Owls were gaining the more weight at the end of the night, supporting the prediction that they make their biggest meal after the nest provisioning activities hunting period that is taking place at the beginning of the night.
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composition of the body mass overshoot in european barn owl nestlings Tyto Alba insurance against scarcity of energy or water
Journal of Comparative Physiology B-biochemical Systemic and Environmental Physiology, 2008Co-Authors: Joel M Durant, Mėta M Landys, Yves HandrichAbstract:European barn owl chicks (Tyto Alba) show a body mass overshoot prior to fledging that has been predicted to serve as an energy reservoir during periods of stochastic food availability. However, the composition of the mass overshoot has heretofore not been directly examined in nestlings of this or any other species displaying a body mass overshoot during growth (e.g., raptors and seabirds). To experimentally determine whether the overshoot in body mass in juvenile European barn owls (Tyto Alba) may act as an energy reservoir, we compared the body composition of owl chicks raised on an ad libitum diet to those fed a restricted diet designed to eliminate the overshoot. Chicks raised on the two diets were also compared for differences in maturation of diverse functions (e.g., locomotion) and tissues (e.g., skeletal development). Contrary to expectations, our results on body composition in juvenile barn owls indicate that the mass overshoot prior to fledging is primarily comprised of an increased water compartment. Thus, we suggest that the mass overshoot in owls (and possibly in other species) does not serve as an energy reservoir but, rather, may function as an insurance against dehydration when hot in-nest conditions force chicks to rely on evaporative cooling: temperatures in barn owl nests can reach up to 43°C. We found no significant differences in maturation indexes between diet treatments at the time of fledging
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more eggs the better egg formation in captive barn owls Tyto Alba
The Auk, 2004Co-Authors: Joel M Durant, Sylvie Massemin, Yves HandrichAbstract:Abstract We studied rapid yolk deposition (RYD) in Barn Owls (Tyto Alba) on the basis of the analysis of 26 eggs laid by “dye-dosed” captive female Barn Owls in five different broods. Pictures of yolks were examined to assess daily rates of yolk deposition. We used those data in combination with data from the dissection of ovaries of another five breeding females. We found that the total duration between initiation of RYD and laying of the corresponding egg was only 13.6 days, with an interval between yolk completion and oviposition of 2.4 days. The total number of follicles that may have given eggs was found to be 25. That high number of follicles and the short RYD period explain the particularly high reproductive potential of this nocturnal raptor species.
-
growth and food requirement flexibility in captive chicks of the european barn owl Tyto Alba
Journal of Zoology, 1998Co-Authors: Joel M Durant, Yves HandrichAbstract:The growth and the food requirements of the European barn owl ( Tyto Alba ) were studied in three groups of captive chicks. One group of chicks, raised in ad libitum food conditions by their parents, was used to measure body mass and linear growth of a number of structural body components at their characteristic growth rate. A second group of chicks, hand-raised with food ad libitum until fledging, was used to measure food requirement at the characteristic growth rate. A third group, hand-raised with restricted feeding, was used to specify the plasticity of growth and food requirements still compatible with a normal development at fledging. Chicks of both sexes of the first two groups experienced an overshoot in body mass (maximum of 391 g) when approximately 40 days old, followed by a decrease (to a mass of 314 g) until fledging at 60 days old, giving a mass distribution with age in the form of a bell-shaped curve. The daily food intake also showed a bell-shaped curve with a peak value of 80 ± 10 g of fresh mice/day when the body mass was maximum. The decrease of food intake preceding fledging was spontaneous. The average daily food intake was 67 ± 17 g/day between the ages of 20 and 60 days. In the restricted feeding group, however, the same timing for linear growth and fledging was achieved with a 17% reduction of daily food intake. For the same fledging body mass as the ad libitum fed group, there was a flattening of the body mass curve. The significance of the overshoot in body mass and food intake is discussed in terms of the chick's and brood's advantages and in terms of parental investment in this species with hatching asynchrony.
Motti Charter - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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movement ecology breeding diet and roosting behavior of barn owls Tyto Alba in a transboundary conflict region
Regional Environmental Change, 2021Co-Authors: Gabriel Rozman, Alexandre Roulin, Ido Izhaki, Motti CharterAbstract:Transboundary frontiers often contain wildlife habitats that are fractured by geopolitical borders, which could have adverse effects on the wildlife that inhabit those areas. We examined the movement, breeding, roosting, and diet of 15 GPS-tagged barn owls (Tyto Alba) along the Israeli-Jordanian and Israeli-Palestinian Authority borders. Our results showed that 80% of the barn owls hunted across the border. On average, the owls engaged in 5.4 hunting trips per night, 16% of which were cross-border excursions, and they crossed the borders as frequently as expected randomly, highlighting the importance of wildlife protection on all sides. Hunting movement, rather than cross-border activity, had an effect on the annual reproductive success and diet composition. Specifically, female owls that spent more time at the nest and engaged in longer distance hunting trips had higher reproductive success. Eighty percent of the females roosted outside of the nest box at a median distance of 908 m (range = 199–4112 m). Only 13.3% of the owls (2/15 owls) roosted across the border. These results increase our understanding of the movement, breeding, and roosting behavior of a non-migratory avian raptor. However, a serious lack of cooperation and communication between bordering countries hampers our ability to understand the full effects of differing environmental policies on a species that knows no borders.
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the relationship between weather and reproduction of the barn owl Tyto Alba in a semi arid agricultural landscape in israel
Avian Biology Research, 2017Co-Authors: Motti Charter, Kobi Meyrom, Yossi Leshem, Shaul Aviel, Ido Izhaki, Alexandre RoulinAbstract:Even though the Barn Owl (Tyto Alba) is distributed worldwide, little information is available on how weather affects Barn Owl breeding outside of Europe and North America. For instance, if cold temperatures can negatively influence population dynamics in temperate regions, heat could have a similar negative effect in arid regions. We have studied a breeding population of Barn Owls in a semi-arid agricultural environment over 13 years in Israel in order to determine whether lack of rain and hot ambient temperatures impair Barn Owl reproductive success. The percentage of nest boxes occupied by Barn Owls was not related to any of the weather variables, whereas the number of nestlings per Barn Owl pair and the percentage of pairs that succeeded to fledge young was lower in years when it started to rain later in the season and when the minimum daily temperature was higher during the breeding season. In comparison to temperate regions, heat is detrimental to Barn Owl breeding and early precipitation is probably important in boosting vegetation and, in turn, the abundance of small mammals, the Barn Owl's staple food.
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the importance of micro habitat in the breeding of barn owls Tyto Alba
Bird Study, 2012Co-Authors: Motti Charter, Kobi Meyrom, Yossi Leshem, Ori Peleg, Alexandre RoulinAbstract:Capsule Habitat parameters associated with 706 Barn Owl (Tyto Alba) nesting boxes in Israel were analysed. Pairs bred in 259 of the boxes. The intensity of agricultural practices at nestbox sites were shown to have only a weak effect on aspects of Barn Owl breeding in this region.
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nest box use by the barn owl Tyto Alba in a biological pest control program in the beit she an valley israel
Ardea, 2009Co-Authors: Kobi Meyrom, Yossi Leshem, Shaul Aviel, Ido Izhaki, Yoav Motro, Francis Argyle, Motti CharterAbstract:Starting in 1983, nest boxes for Barn Owls Tyto Alba were erected as part of a biological pest control program to deal with rodents, in Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu, and later in other agricultural fields and plantations in the Beit She'an valley, Israel. More than a decade ago, the nest box scheme was extended to include other agricultural areas in the valley, and grew from 14 boxes on 3 km2 in 1983 to about 300 boxes on 90 km2 throughout the entire Beit She'an valley in 2007. Here we present the results of a study during the 2002 through 2006 breeding seasons, in which 156 to 243 nest boxes were monitored each season. Mean occupation of nest boxes during the study was 53.5% (SE 2.1, n = 248), and a total of 596 breeding attempts were recorded, of which 85.2% successfully fledged at least one young. Yearly occupation of nest boxes varied significantly between the years, ranging from 48.1% to 73.5%. The occupancy rate of first-year nest boxes was lower than that of those available for two or more years. The occupa...
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diets of urban breeding barn owls Tyto Alba in tel aviv israel
The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 2007Co-Authors: Motti Charter, Ido Izhaki, Lev Shapira, Yossi LeshemAbstract:Abstract Examination of 193 whole pellets and a number of partial pellets of a pair of Barn Owls (Tyto Alba) in Neve Shiret, a neighborhood of Tel Aviv, Israel during the 2005 and 2006 breeding seasons revealed a total of 711 prey specimens. Six species of small mammals comprised 99.3% of the diet with a frequency of occurrence of 100% in pellets. Levant voles (Microtus socialis guentheri) (48.1%) and house mice (Mus musculus) (32.9%) were the most common prey species. The Barn Owl pair hunted in croplands adjacent to an urban residential area.
