We used data collected during 1995– 2007 at the only Wildlife Rehabilitation Center on Tenerife Island (Canary Islands) to quantify entanglement mortality of owls. At least 66 of 1,206 Long-eared (Asio otus) and 5 of 231 Barn (Tyto alba) owls admitted to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center were entangled in burr bristlegrass (Setaria adhaerens). Twelve (18.2%) of the 66 Long-eared Owls died as a result of entanglement while one of five Barn Owls died. A higher incidence of entanglement occurred during summer, coinciding with seed-head ripening and dispersing recently-fledged owls. Velvety plumage may be an important cost for owls, and responsible for owls acting as seed dispersers.
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1 June 2009
An Overlooked Cost for the Velvety Plumage of Owls: Entanglement in Adhesive Vegetation
Airam Rodríguez,
Felipe Siverio,
Rubén Barone,
Beneharo Rodríguez,
Juan J. Negro
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The Wilson Journal of Ornithology
Vol. 121 • No. 2
June 2009
Vol. 121 • No. 2
June 2009