The Boreal Owl
Ecology, Behaviour and Conservation of a Forest-Dwelling Predator

A study of the Boreal Owl's hunting modes, habitats prey interactions, reproduction, dispersal, survival and mortality, population regulation and conservation.

Erkki Korpimäki (Author), Harri Hakkarainen (Author)

9781107425323, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 10 July 2014

406 pages, 143 b/w illus. 41 colour illus. 43 tables
24.4 x 17 x 2.1 cm, 0.64 kg

'This sumptuous book, written by the world's foremost Boreal Owl experts and chock full of interesting information … is literally 'worth its weight in gold' … It is highly recommended for every university library and for every keen owl student throughout the world.' C. Stuart Houston, The Canadian Field-Naturalist

Widespread in North American forest regions including the Rocky Mountains, the Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) was once the most numerous predatory bird in Eurasian boreal forests. Synthesising the results of unique long-term studies of Boreal Owls, this book explores hunting modes, habitats and foods, prey interactions, mating and parental care, reproduction, dispersal, survival and mortality, population regulation and conservation in boreal forests. Providing a detailed introduction to the species, the authors study the complex interactions of Boreal Owls with their prey species. They examine the inter-sexual tug-of-war over parental care, and the behavioural and demographic adaptations to environmental conditions that predictably and markedly fluctuate both seasonally and multi-annually. They also question whether Boreal Owls are able to time their reproductive effort to maximise lifetime reproductive success. Discussing the effect of modern forestry practices on owl populations, the book also examines how Boreal Owls could be managed to sustain viable populations.

Preface
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
2. Boreal (or Tengmalm's) Owls: briefly
3. Study areas and research methods
4. Habitat use, roosts and nest sites
5. Interactions with prey animals
6. Life-history
7. Mating and parental care
8. Reproduction
9. Dispersal and autumn movements
10. Survival and mortality under temporally varying food conditions
11. Old forests increase survival and lifetime reproductive success
12. Family planning under fluctuating food conditions
13. Population dynamics
14. Population regulation
15. Conservation of Boreal Owl populations
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Conservation of wildlife & habitats [RNKH], Birds [ornithology PSVW6], Animal ecology [PSVS], Animal behaviour [PSVP]