Livet på en tallkvist

: En studie om hornugglornas vintertida landskapsanvändning i västra Skåne

Abstract

During winter Swedish long-eared owls seek milder climates; some migrate to continental Europe while others remain in southern Sweden. During this season they exhibit an unusual behavior for owls: they often gather in groups at special day roost-sites. In recent years the long-eared owl population has declined and it is now considered Near Threatened in Sweden (NT). To increase the understanding of these red-listed birds and improve knowledge about their habitat needs during the winter months, a study was conducted, partly based on the identification of known roosting sites recorded in Artportalen. This was done by selecting locations where more than five owls had been observed simultaneously in December–February for at least three consecutive years between 2019 and 2025. The rest of the study was carried out using owls fitted with transmitters, tracking their movements across the landscape. The study was conducted in eight municipalities in western Skåne, an area primarily consisting of open farmland. The results showed that the owls prefer to roost near human settlements, provided there are suitable hunting grounds nearby. Their roosting sites often seem to consist of conifers or dense willow swamp forests. On average, an owl moved within a foraging area of 5.8 km² every night, with no significant difference in home range size between males and females. The long-eared owls appear to favor ruderal land, wooded areas, and open fields, and they spend most of their time in these parts of the landscape. Measures to preserve and develop landscape diversity and new natural areas in these monoculture-dominated environments are crucial for ensuring the continued survival of the long-eared owl and many other species.

Date of Award	2025-Jun
Original language	Swedish
Supervisor	Pär Söderquist (Supervisor) & Johan Elmberg (Examiner)