Widespread in North American forest regions including the Rocky Mountains, the Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) was once the most numerous predatory bird in Eurasian boreal forests. Synthesising the results of unique long-term studies of Boreal Owls, this book explores hunting modes, habitats and foods, prey interactions, mating and parental care, reproduction, dispersal, survival and mortality, population regulation and conservation in boreal forests. Providing a detailed introduction to the species, the authors study the complex interactions of Boreal Owls with their prey species. They examine the inter-sexual tug-of-war over parental care, and the behavioural and demographic adaptations to environmental conditions that predictably and markedly fluctuate both seasonally and multi-annually. They also question whether Boreal Owls are able to time their reproductive effort to maximise lifetime reproductive success. Discussing the effect of modern forestry practices on owl populations, the book also examines how Boreal Owls could be managed to sustain viable populations.
• Synthesises the results of unique long-term studies of Boreal Owls, exploring key topics like hunting modes, habitats and foods, prey interactions, reproduction and conservation • Questions how Boreal Owls could be managed to sustain viable populations, making this a valuable resource for researchers in the field as well as conservationists, bird-watchers, naturalists and forest managers • Beautifully illustrated, with 32 pages of full-colour images featuring a range of photographs of Boreal Owls and their habitats
Contents
Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. Boreal (or Tengmalm's) Owls: briefly; 3. Study areas and research methods; 4. Habitat use, roosts and nest sites; 5. Interactions with prey animals; 6. Life-history; 7. Mating and parental care; 8. Reproduction; 9. Dispersal and autumn movements; 10. Survival and mortality under temporally varying food conditions; 11. Old forests increase survival and lifetime reproductive success; 12. Family planning under fluctuating food conditions; 13. Population dynamics; 14. Population regulation; 15. Conservation of Boreal Owl populations; References; Index.
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