Affordable housing for owls and others: How ornithologists in the Vladimir region are resettling birds
In the Vladimir region, they've begun inspecting duplons—special owl houses—for scops owls, long-legged and pygmy owls, tawny, long-tailed, and great grey owls. Ornithologist Yulia Buyanova told NeMoskva that they've been hanging them in the northeast of the region since 2017. There are currently about 100 of them. This year, only one of the duplons inspected was occupied by a scops owl.
"Owls are fairly lazy creatures, very energy-efficient. They don't build their own nests, preferring to borrow those of others, and they love secluded spots and tree hollows. Currently, across the country, few old, large trees with many hollows remain due to constant logging and fires. And there's competition for affordable housing," the ornithologist explained.
Duplons come in various sizes, configurations, and contents, depending on the species. However, they are more spacious than tree cavities, have a good roof, and are harder for predators to penetrate, resulting in a higher chick survival rate. However, owls aren't the only ones who use them.
“Small passerines, squirrels, martens, and sometimes dormice often settle in them; even hornets and wasps love them, making our lives difficult,” Buyanova added.
It's not uncommon for an owl to nest in a hollow for several years in a row, while the great grey owl has so far ignored the efforts of regional ornithologists. Owls can also occupy a nesting site after other birds. Yulia Buyanova explains that a scops owl might move in after a titmice, but it's unlikely after a hoopoe, "they really outcompete them." The rule here is: first come, first served. This year, hoopoes have occupied many nesting sites; "there are an incredible number of them," the ornithologist added.
When checking the nests, the nests may be empty: some chicks leave the nest in June. The Scops Owl, however, is a southern species; it nests in the Vladimir region only in June, weather permitting.
"The weather has been so-so this year, so our scops owl only moved in recently. But I'll let you in on a secret—she already has three chicks and another egg. Interestingly, in the neighboring Nizhny Novgorod region, scops owls are very fond of nesting holes. But here, not so much," says Buyanova.
The "affordable housing" program relies entirely on the enthusiasm of ornithologists. But no one is evicting uninvited tenants, like the hoopoes who took over the houses this year. And right now, researchers are building new houses.
Photo: Yulia Buyanova.