Species
are listed according to their breeding density:
DIURNAL
BIRDS OF PREY
- Common
Buzzard (Buteo
buteo): very common, high densities in suitable habitat. Decreasing
slightly because of growing Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) population. Eagle
Owls seem to take the fledgelings one after the other once they have
located them.
- Eurasian
Kestrel
(Falco tinnunculus): very common, high densities in suitable habitat.
Decreasing slightly because of growing Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) population,
numbers also dependent on vole peaks. Interestingly Kestrels among Eagle
Owl prey-remains are adult birds in almost every case.
- Eurasian
Sparrowhawk
(Accipiter nisus): common, numbers seem to be going up slighty, rarely
found among Eagle Owl prey- remains or pluckings.
- Goshawk
(Accipiter gentilis): quite common, still shot and caught in traps illegally,
numbers depend on "quality" of nestsite locations. At well-known eyries
threatened by human persecution, mostly by hunters.
- Honey-Buzzard
(Pernis apivorus): surely more frequent than expected. No exact numbers
known because of lack of monitoring.
- Marsh
Harrier (Circus
aeruginosus): quite common in suitable habitat, mostly fishponds. Numbers
slightly increasing, sometimes breeding in fields in open country. Breeding
success often poor, maybe because of very high Otter (Lutra lutra) populations.
- Hobby
(Falco subbuteo): quite common in fishpond areas, hunting for dragonflies
or larger beetles, bats, swallows and swifts above the water.
- White-tailed
Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) ??: expected to start breeding here
in the near future because of rising numbers in the nearby Czech fishpond
area. May already have bred on Austrian territory according to Czech
ornithologists. Hard to monitor because of the large woods along the
border.
OWLS
- Tawny
Owl (Strix
aluco): usually quite common, numbers seem to decrease a little, mainly
caused by lack of old trees with cavities. Frequently taken by Eagle
Owls.
- Long-eared
Owl (Asio
otus): common, breeding in old crow nests. Very often found as prey
of Eagle Owls, thus slightly decreasing.
- Eagle
Owl
(Bubo bubo): at the moment almost at peak densities, even breeding on
the ground in suboptimal habitat. Breeding success decreasing with growing
number of breeding pairs - nest ledges sometimes as close together as
2 kms. Still threatened by illegal human persecution - hunters or often
wildlife photographers who cannot avoid taking pictures before the nestlings
are at least four weeks of age. Brooding females leave them in panic
and do not return sometimes for hours which may very well result in
the clutch freezing to death in cold and/or wet weather.
- Pygmy
Owl (Glaucidium passerinum): common, very often found breeding
in Eagle Owl habitat. Population seems to be stable at the moment.
- Tengmalm's
Owl (Aegolius funereus): rare species, but maybe monitored too
little. They respond very well to calling at night and could be quite
easily detected. I once found some feathers among Eagle Owl pluckings
and called some individuals myself. They come very close to protest!
- Barn
Owl
(Tyto alba): very rare, almost extinct in our region. I suspect the
loss of multi-structured landscape and old open barns being the main
reasons for decline.
|