Open AccessLong-eared Owl Asio otus breeding in a Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans colony: Reversed roles in protective nesting association?
Author(s) -
Klaudia Litwiniak,
Marcin Przymencki
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
ornis svecica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.104
H-Index - 14
eISSN - 2003-2633
pISSN - 1102-6812
DOI - 10.34080/os.v30.22033
Subject(s) - larus , nest (protein structural motif) , nesting (process) , predation , biology , zoology , ecology , geography , fishery , herring , biochemistry , materials science , fish <actinopterygii> , metallurgy
We describe the event of Long-eared Owls Asio otus nesting on an island within a colony of Caspian Gulls Larus cachinnans at the Mietków Reservoir (SW Poland). The owls nested in an old (possible corvid) nest in a willow and raised two owlets. They probably did not hunt gulls, neither adults nor chicks. We suggest that, in this case, the Long-eared Owls benefitted from breeding within a gull colony because of the added security against predators that the gulls provided.