The Eagle Owl

by Vincenzo Penteriani, María del Mar Delgado

Overview

The Eagle Owl is one of the largest owls in the world, and is considered the most eclectic in terms of habitat, nest site and diet. An undisputed top predator, it can prey on a range of mammals up to the size of a fox, and almost every species of bird, reptile, amphibian and fish, as well as a wide spectrum of invertebrates. Surprisingly, this owl can breed almost anywhere, the female laying her eggs on a variety of natural and artificial structures over an array of altitudes. Despite being so adaptable, however, it is still a vulnerable species, and has suffered widely from persecution as well as other threats including electrocution on power lines, decreasing prey availability, the effects of pesticides and pollutants, and habitat alteration.

Vincenzo Penteriani and María del Mar Delgado have studied this fascinating bird extensively across its vast Eurasian range. In this book, they detail its intriguing ecology, covering distribution, foraging and breeding behavior, interspecific interactions, dispersal and conservation issues. The final two chapters provide a remarkable insight into vocal and visual communication. Scientists have long believed that owls and other crepuscular and nocturnal birds forgo the visual signals found in other avian species, but recent research on the Eagle Owl has suggested otherwise.

Bringing together more than 30 years of research, The Eagle Owl tells a story rich in detail of one of the most thrilling and magnificent birds in the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472900661
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	10/01/2019
Series:	Poyser Monographs
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Vincenzo Penteriani and María del Mar Delgado have been researching the ecology and population dynamics of the Eagle Owl in Italy, France, Spain and southern Finland for more than 30 years.

Vincenzo Penteriani first seriously studied Eagle Owls in Provence, during his PhD. He worked at the Doñana Biological Station (EBD) for nearly 20 years, during which time he and María del Mar Delgado studied the species in south-western Spain and southern Finland (at which time Vincenzo was working at the Finnish Museum of Natural History in Helsinki). Vincenzo is now a researcher with the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE) – part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) – and is currently based at the Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB), where he is working on Brown Bears in the Cantabrian Mountains.

María del Mar Delgado did her PhD on the Eagle Owl at EBD, and has since spent several years as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki. She is currently based at UMIB, where she is undertaking research on snowfinches.

Table of Contents

Preface 6

1 The Eagle Owl 8

2 Distribution and population estimates 34

3 The nesting site 97

4 Nest spacing and breeding density 115

5 Feeding ecology 122

6 Interspecific interactions 154

7 The Eagle Owl calendat 173

8 Breeding performances 203

9 Home range behaviour 223

10 Natal and breeding dispersal 241

11 Mortality and threats 265

12 Vocal communication 280

13 Visual communication 310

Acknowledgements 334

Appendix 1 List of prey species found in the diet of the Eagle Owl 336

Appendix 2 List of abbreviations 339

References 340

Index 378

Editorial Reviews

How exciting to be writing about the world's largest owl! This new book represents 30 years of research on a Eurasian species that is so much bigger than the North American equivalent. A wide distribution requires double the usual number of colour plates to illustrate the variety of nesting sites and habitats. Information drawn from about 1200 references, and many more personal communications, make this one of the most thoroughly researched books in the Poyser Series. The artwork at chapter headings and on the cover, by Tom Björklund and Giulia Bombieri, is exquisite, too.” —R E Kenward, Ibis

“Anyone interested in owls, predators in general, or issues around non-native species in Britain, should read this book” —John Marchant, BTO

From the Publisher