Influence of perch height and vegetation structure on the foraging behaviour of Little Owls Athene noctua: How to achieve the same success in two distinct habitats

Ardea

Volumn 99, Issue 1, 2011, Pages 17-26

  Tom, Ricardo ^a,b   Dias, Maria P ^c,d   Chumbinho, Ana Cludia ^e   Bloise, Carolina ^f  

^a UNIVERSITY OF TURKU   (Finland)

^b Tagus Space   (Portugal)

^c INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE PSICOLOGIA APLICADA   (Portugal)

^d Museu Nacional de Historia Natural Universidade de Lisboa   (Portugal)

^e Rua Barbosa Do Bocage ^*  (Portugal)

^f Rua Barbosa Do Bocage   (Portugal)

Author keywords

acoustic detection; foraging behaviour; hunting success; optimal search height; visual detection

Indexed keywords

ADAPTATION; BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY; FORAGING BEHAVIOR; HABITAT TYPE; HUNTING; PERCHING BEHAVIOR; PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTION; PREY AVAILABILITY; RAPTOR; TERRITORY; VEGETATION STRUCTURE; WOODLAND;

PORTUGAL;

ATHENE NOCTUA; HEXAPODA; ILEX; ROTUNDIFOLIA; STRIGIFORMES;

EID: 84856720078     PISSN: 03732266     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.5253/078.099.0103     Document Type: Article

References (35)

1. Ali M.A. 1978. Sensory ecology. Plenum Press, New York.
2. Altmann J. 1974. Observational study of behaviour: sampling methods. Behaviour 49: 227-267.
3. Andersson M. 1981. On optimal predator search. Theor. Popul. Biol. 19: 58-86.
4. Andersson M., Wallander J. & Isaksson D. 2009. Predator perches: a visual search perspective. Funct. Ecol. 23: 373-379.
5. Bye F.N., Jacobson B.V. & Sonerud G.A. 1992. Auditory prey location in a pause-travel predator: search height, search time and attack range of Tengmalm's owls (Aegolius funereus). Behav. Ecol. 3: 266-276. (Pubitemid 23401767)
6. Carlson A. 1985. Prey detection in the Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio): an experimental study. Anim. Behav. 33: 1243-1249.
7. Centili D. 2001. Playback and Little Owls Athene noctua: preliminary results and considerations. In: Van Nieuwenhuyse D., Leysen M. & Leysen K. (eds) The Little Owl in Flanders in its international context. Proceedings of the Second International Little Owl Symposium. Oriolus 67, pp. 72-83.
8. DRAA 2000. Anuário de recursos hídricos do Alentejo. Ano hidrológico de 1998/99. DRRA, Ministério do Ambiente e do Ordenamento do Território, Évora.
9. Exo K-M. 1989. Tagesperiodische Aktivitätsmuster des Steinkauzes (Athene noctua). Vogelwarte 35: 94-114. (Pubitemid 20428359)
10. Exo K-M. 1991. Der Untere Niederrhein - ein Verbreitungsschwerpunkt des Steinkauzes (Athene noctua) in Mitteleuropa. Natur und Landschaft 66: 156-159.
11. Fajardo I., Pividal V., Trigo M. & Jimenez, M. 1998. Habitat selection, activity peaks and strategies to avoid road mortality by the Little Owl Athene noctua. A new methodology on owls research. Alauda 66: 49-60. (Pubitemid 128577757)
12. Fitzpatrick J.W. 1981. Search strategies of tyrant flycatchers. Anim. Behav. 29: 810-821.
13. Génot J.-C. & Van Nieuwenhuyse D. 2002. Athene noctua Little Owl. BWP Update 4: 35-63. (Pubitemid 34667734)
14. Gillings S. 2004. Prey detectability: significance and measurement using a novel laser pen technique. Wader Study Group Bull. 103: 50-55.
15. Greig-Smith P.W. 1983. Use of perches as vantage points during foraging by male and female stonechats Saxicola torquata. Behaviour 86: 215-236.
16. Hays R.L., Summers C. & Seitz W. 1981. Estimating wildlife habitat variables. Fish and Wildlife Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington.
17. Ille R. 1983. Ontogenese des Beutefangverhaltens beim Steinkauz (Athene noctua). J. Ornitol. 124: 133-146.
18. Martin P. & Bateson P. 1993. Measuring behaviour, second edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
19. Moreira F. 1999. Relationships between vegetation structure and breeding bird densities in fallow cereal steppes of Castro Verde, Portugal. Bird Study 46: 309-318. (Pubitemid 30259450)
20. Moreno J. 1984. Search strategies of Wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) and Stonechats (Saxicola torquata): adaptive variation in perch height, search time, sally distance and inter-perch move length. J. Anim. Ecol. 53: 147-159. (Pubitemid 15270949)
21. Negro J.J., de la Riva M.J. & Hiraldo F. 1990. Daytime activity of Little Owls (Athene noctua) in southwestern Spain. J. Raptor Res. 24: 72-74.
22. Norberg R.A. 1987. Evolution, structure, and ecology of northern forest owls. In: Nero R.W., Clark R.J., Knapton R.J. & Hamre R.H. (eds) Biology and conservation of Northern Forest Owls. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-142. Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins.
23. Quinn J.L. & Cresswell W. 2004. Predator hunting behaviour and prey vulnerability. J. Anim. Ecol. 73: 143-154. (Pubitemid 38106596)
24. R Development Core Team. 2009. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. URL: http://www.R-project.org.
25. Rice W.R. 1983. Sensory modality: an example of its effect on optimal foraging behaviour. Ecology 64: 403-406. (Pubitemid 14273492)
26. Schönn S., Scherzinger W., Exo K.-M. & Ille R. 1991. Der Steinkauz. Neue Brehm-Bücherei 606, Ziemsen, Wittenberg.
27. Sonerud G.A. 1992. Search tactics of a pause-travel predator: adaptive adjustments of perching times and move distances by Hawk Owls, Surnia ulula. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 30: 207-217. (Pubitemid 23400773)
28. Suárez F., Naveso M.A. & De Juana E. 1997. Farming in the drylands of Spain: birds of the pseudosteppes. In: Pain D.J. & Pienkowski M.W. (eds) Farming and birds in Europe. The Common Agricultural Policy and its implications for bird conservation. Academic Press, San Diego, pp. 297-330.
29. Sutherland W.J. (ed.) 1996. Ecological census techniques. A Handbook. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
30. Thiollay J.M. & Clobert J. 1988. Comparative foraging adaptations of small raptors in a dense African savanna. Ibis 132: 42-57. (Pubitemid 20425442)
31. Tomé R., Bloise C. & Korpimäki E. 2004. Nest-site selection and nesting success of little owls (Athene noctua) in Mediterranean woodland and open habitats. J. Raptor Res. 38: 35-46. (Pubitemid 44356483)
32. Tomé R., Catry P., Bloise C. & Korpimäki E. 2008. Breeding density and success, and diet composition of Little Owls Athene noctua in steppe-like habitats in Portugal. Ornis Fenn. 85: 22-32. (Pubitemid 351982196)
33. Van Nieuwenhuyse D., Génot J.-C. & Johnson D.H. 2008. The Little Owl - Conservation, ecology and behaviour of Athene noctua. Cambridge University Press, New York.
34. Widén P. 1994. Habitat quality for raptors: a field experiment. J. Avian Biol. 25: 219-223. (Pubitemid 2118658)
35. Zuberogoitia I. & Campos L.F. 1998. Censusing owls in large areas: a comparison between methods. Ardeola 45: 47-53. (Pubitemid 128737937)