Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T22:43:36.091Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Post-release survival of hand-reared tawny owls (Strix aluco) based on radio-tracking and leg-band return data

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

K Leighton ,
D Chilvers ,
A Charles  and
A Kelly
K Leighton
Affiliation:
RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Centre, East Winch, Norfolk PE32 1NR, UK
D Chilvers
Affiliation:
RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Centre, East Winch, Norfolk PE32 1NR, UK
A Charles
Affiliation:
RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Centre, East Winch, Norfolk PE32 1NR, UK
A Kelly*
Affiliation:
RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre, London Rd, Stapeley, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 7JW, UK IBLS, Division of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: ankelly@RSPCA.org.uk
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The post-release survival of hand-reared tawny owls (Strix aluco) was measured using radio-tracking and leg-band return data. Of 16 birds fitted with 2.4 g radiotelemetry tags, two shed their tags after four and nine days, respectively and one bird was recovered and the tag removed. The remaining 13 birds were tracked for between 16 and 84 days (median 38). Of these, two were found dead (one emaciated and one predated) and one was recovered alive but emaciated and was subsequently euthanased. Thirty-seven percent were radio-tracked for more than six weeks, thought to be the critical period beyond which raptors will mostly survive. Of 112 birds banded between 1995 and 2005, 18 were recovered (seven live and 11 dead). Of the seven live recoveries, three were involved in road traffic collisions. Of the dead recoveries for which the cause of death was known (n = 4), all had been involved in road traffic collisions. The time elapsed between release and recovery ranged from 1–2,246 days (median 123 days). Over 65% survived for more than six weeks. The distance travelled between release and recovery ranged between 0 and 6 km (median 0). Further work is required on the effects of hand rearing on post-release survival of rehabilitated wildlife.

Keywords

animal welfareradio-trackingrehabilitationStrix alucosurvivaltawny owl
Type
Articles
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 17 , Issue 3 , August 2008 , pp. 207 - 214
Copyright
© 2008 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Aldridge, HDJN and Brigham, RM 1988 Load carrying and manoeuvrability in an insectivorous bat: a test of the 5% ‘rule’ of radio-telemetry. Journal of Mammalogy 69: 379–382CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baker, K 1993 Identification Guide to European Non-Passerines: BTO Guide 24. British Trust for Ornithology: Thetford, UKGoogle Scholar
Baker, PJ and Harris, S 2004 Factors Affecting Release Rates From RSPCA Wildlife Hospitals: a Re-analysis. RSPCA: Horsham, UKGoogle Scholar
Bennett, JA and Routh, AD 2000 Post-release survival of hand-reared tawny owls (Strix aluco). Animal Welfare 9: 317–321Google Scholar
BTO 2005 Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: Tawny owls,Strix aluco. http://www.bto.org/birdtrends 2004/wcrtawow.htmGoogle Scholar
Coles, CF and Petty, SJ 1997 Dispersal behaviour and survival of juvenile tawny owls (Strix aluco) during the low point in a vole cycle. In: Duncan, JR, Johnson, DH and Nicholls, TH (eds) Biology and Conservation of Owls of the Northern Hemisphere pp 111–118. USDA Forest Service, General Technical Report NC-190. USDA Forest Service: USAGoogle Scholar
Cousquer, G 2005 Ophthalmological findings in free-living tawny owls (Strix aluco) examined at a wildlife veterinary hospital. Veterinary Record 156: 734–739CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Csermely, D 2000a Behaviour of hand-reared orphaned long-eared owls and tawny owls after release in the wild. Italian Journal of Zoology 67: 57–62CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Csermely, D 2000b Rehabilitation of birds of prey and their survival after release. A review. In: Lumeij, JT, Remple, D, Redig, PT, Lierz, M and Cooper, JE (eds) Raptor Biomedicine III, Including Bibliography of Diseases of Birds of Prey pp 303–311. Zoological Education Network: Lake Worth, Florida, USAGoogle Scholar
Duke, GE, Redig, PT and Jones, W 1981 Recoveries and resightings of released rehabilitated raptors. Journal of Raptor Research 15: 97–104Google Scholar
Fajardo, I, Babiloni, G and Miranda, Y 2000 Rehabilitated and wild barn owls (Tyto alba): dispersal, life expectancy and mortality in Spain. Biological Conservation 94: 287–295CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Foster, CC, Forsman, ED, Meslow, EC, Miller, GS, Reid, JA, Wagner, FF, Carey, AB and Lint, JB 1992 Survival and reproduction of radio-marked adult spotted owls. Journal of Wildlife Management 56: 91–95CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Francis, CM and Saurola, P 2002 Estimating age-specific survival rates of tawny owls – recaptures versus recoveries. Journal of Applied Statistics 29: 637–647CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Franson, CJ, Thomas, NJ, Smith, MR, Robbins, AH, Newman, S and McCartin, PC 1996 A retrospective study of post mortem findings in red-tailed hawks. Journal of Raptor Research 30: 7–14Google Scholar
Fraser, JD and Moss, MB 1985 A need for agency policies on wildlife rehabilitation. Wildlife Society Bulletin 13: 202–204Google Scholar
Garland, L, Harris, S and Baker, PJ 2003 An Evaluation of the Ethics and Implementation of Wildlife Rehabilitation. RSPCA Annual Progress Report (unpublished). RSPCA: Horsham, UKGoogle Scholar
Goldsworthy, SD, Gliese, M, Gales, RP, Brothers, N and Hamill, J 2000 Effects of the Iron Baron oil spill on little penguins (Eudyptula minor) I. Post-release survival of rehabilitated oiled birds. Wildlife Research 27: 573–582CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holz, PH, Naisbitt, R and Mansell, P 2006 Fitness level as a determining factor in the survival of rehabilitated peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) and brown goshawks (Accipiter fasciatus) released back into the wild. Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery 20: 15–20CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Irvine, RJ, Leckie, F and Redpath, SM 2007 The cost of carrying radio transmitters: a test with racing pigeons. Wildlife Biology 13: 238–243CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joys, AC, Clark, JA, Clark, NA and Robinson, RA 2003 An investigation of the effectiveness of rehabilitation of birds as shown by ringing recoveries. BTO Research Report No. 324. British Trust for Ornithology: Thetford, UKGoogle Scholar
Kenward, RE 2001 A Manual for Wildlife Radio Tagging. Academic Press: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Loos, G and Kerlinger, P 1993 Road mortality of saw-whet and screech-owls on the Cape May Peninsula. Journal of Raptor Research 27: 210–213Google Scholar
Martell, MS, Redig, PT, Nibe, J and Buhl, G 1991 Survival and movements of released rehabilitated bald Eagles. Journal of Raptor Research 25: 72–76Google Scholar
Martell, MS, Goggin, J and Redig, PT 2000 Assessing rehabilitation success of raptors through band returns. In: Lumeij, JT, Remple, D, Redig, PT, Lierz, M and Cooper, JE (eds) Raptor Biomedicine III, Including Bibliography of Diseases of Birds of Prey pp 327–334. Zoological Education Network: Lake Worth, Florida, USAGoogle Scholar
Newton, I, Wyllie, I and Dale, L 1999 Trends in the numbers and mortality patterns of sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus) and kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) in Britain, as revealed by carcass analyses. Journal of Zoology 248: 139–147CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Overskaug, K, Bolstad, JP, Sunde, P and Øien, IJ 1999 Fledgling behaviour and survival in northern tawny owls. Condor 101: 169–174CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paton, PWC, Zabel, CJ, Neal, DL, Steger, NG, Tilghman, NG and Noon, BR 1991 Effects of radio tags on spotted owls. Journal of Wildlife Management 55: 617–622CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Percival, SM 1990 Population Trends in British Barn Owls,Tyto alba and Tawny Owls,Strix aluco, in Relation to Environmental Change. Research Report 57. British Trust for Ornithology: Tring, UKGoogle Scholar
Petty, SJ and Thirgood, SJ 1989 A radio tracking study of post-fledging mortality and movements of tawny owls in Argyll. Ringing and Migration 10: 75–82CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Petty, SJ, Appleby, BM, Coles, CF and Julliard, R 2004 The long-term effect of fitting back-mounted radio tags to juvenile tawny owls, Strix aluco. Wildlife Biology 10: 161–170CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sasvari, L, Peczely, P and Hegyi, Z 2004 The influence of parental age and weather on testosterone concentration and offspring survival in broods of tawny owls, Strix aluco. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 56: 306–313CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sasvari, L and Hegyi, Z 2005 Effects of breeding experience on nest-site choice and the reproductive performance of tawny owls (Strix aluco). Journal of Raptor Research 39: 26–35Google Scholar
Sharp, BE 1996 Post-release survival of oiled, cleaned seabirds in North America. Ibis 138: 222–228CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shier, DM and Owings, DH 2007 Effects of social learning on predator training and post-release survival in juvenile black-tailed prairie dogs, Cynomys ludovicianus. Animal Behaviour 73: 567–577CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snow, DW and Perrins, CM 1998 The Birds of the Western Palearctic, Concise Edition, Volume 1: Non-Passerines. Oxford University Press: Oxford, UKGoogle Scholar
Southern, HN 1970 The natural control of a population of tawny owls (Strix aluco). Journal of Zoology 162: 197–285CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Southern, HN, Vaughan, R and Muir, RC 1954 The behaviour of young Tawny Owls after fledging. Bird Study 1: 101–110CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sunde, P 2005 Predators control post-fledging mortality in tawny owls. Oikos 110: 460–472CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sunde, P 2006 Effects of backpack radio tags on tawny owls. Journal of Wildlife Management 70: 594–599CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sweeney, SJ, Redig, PT and Tordoff, HB 1997 Morbidity, survival and productivity of rehabilitated peregrine falcons in the upper midwestern US. Journal of Raptor Research 31: 347–352Google Scholar
Zuberogoitia, I, Torres, JJ and Martinez, JA 2003 Reforzamiento poblacional del Búho Real, Bubo bubo, en Bizkaia (Espaňa). Ardeola 50: 237–244. [Title translation: Population reinforcement of Eagle owl (Bubo bubo) in Biscay, Spain]Google Scholar