From TVP World
A pair of extremely rare owls has been observed breeding in Poland for the first time, making it the first sighting of a new owl species reproducing in over a century.
The two Eurasian Scops Owls, migratory birds generally found in southern and eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa, were initially spotted in May in Upper Silesia, southeastern Poland. Due to their scarcity, there were doubts at first as to whether they were the genuine article.
Ornithologists stepped up their observation and hung recorders in the trees. They logged sightings of a male and female in the same area in June, the Owl Conservation Association posted on Facebook.
The breakthrough came in July, when a thermal-imaging camera helped to reveal the nest site. There have been subsequent sightings of two chicks, which have confirmed the first recorded breeding of the species in the country.
Birdwatchers spotted the creatures, also known scientifically as Otus scops, raising chicks in the hollow of a black alder tree, the bird news website BirdGuides reported.
The small but clever bird is the 11th breeding owl species recorded in Poland and the first for over 100 years.
Although, the International Union for Conservation of Nature does not consider the Scops Owl a species of serious concern, its global population is declining, National Geographic reported.
Major threats include habitat loss, the chopping down of hollow trees, agricultural modernization, pesticide use, urban development, and hunting. In Europe, the population is considered stable over three generations.
Photos from Stowarzyszenie Ochrony Sów Owl Conservation Association
Otus scops reading the room.
Scops uses Freeze.
It’s super effective!
They really have that deep frozen look
Oh shoot. I thought we had discussed fight/flight/freeze/fawn here the other day, but that was actually an AskLemmy I participated in. I’m not used to my animal talk being somewhere other than here!
SQUEEE ALERT
this is not a drill, people!
I was unable to reduce the number of photos. They were all just way too cute!
Dude in the comic looks like my new friend from this last weekend with that hair.
Okay they’re rare but are they good? This isn’t “owl news” god dammit.
Better than good, they are superb!
Owls tend to be an indicator species, as they often live near humans. Within limits, they take advantage of us clearing land, especially for food growing purposes that brings in insects and rodents that are now running across clear hunting lanes bordered by tall perching trees.
If the owls were gone but are starting to come back and thrive, that may be an indicator the Poles are taking better care of their land from an ecological perspective.
I haven’t had time to check more previous Polish news (that seems a hard language even for AI) but it sounds the owls have made visits over the last decade or so, but this is the first time in a century the owls have approved enough of the present landscape to commit themselves to setting up shop there. Raising owlets is a huge commitment that can cost them their lives. That they’re betting it all on Poland says something.
So I’d call that good!
