European Scops Owl is a small migratory owl species whose distribution in Europe is typical for Mediterranean area, Balkan and Russia. The nothern border of its current distribution is France, Alps, southern Austria, Carpathians in Slovakia and Ukraine.
In recent years, sporadic breeding records are increasingly seen in Germany and Czechia, both countries are outside its traditional distribution. Maybe it´s start of a trend and we might see this species clowly colonizing more of Europe? Increasing average temperatures might help this insect-eating species. Also increasing synanthropisation. In some areas like nothern Italy, majority of pairs breeds within urban enviroment on buildings. Cities form "higher temperature islands" so breeding in urban jungle might facilitate spread of the species towards colder areas.
Scops owl gets increasing attention at some countries like Austria, Slovakia or Hungary where dedicated programs exist to increase number of local breeding pairs by placing next boxes and agriculture land management. That shows good results.
What prompted me to this speculation about moving of nothern range are some recent records in Czechia. Estimate of local population of Scops owl is only 5-10 birds according to fairly recent literature, with scarce occasional breeding near Austrian border. However, those very few local ringers who are interested in them are able to catch over 15 birds each spring migration, some of them on ringing station in mountain valley on Polish/Czech border on their way north. Where are they going? With no return reports so far, nobody knows.
Vocalising territorial scop owls turn up in urban centers of some Czech cities increasingly, far from Austrian border. Currently, at least 3 of them are at Olomouc, 1 at České Budějovice, last year one was heard from April till July at Brno (second largest city here), two years ago an owl got into rescues station after hitting window in Hradec Králové.
Here is one owl at Olomouc, at ventilation opening in building of a local school, taken this week.
Are we witneses of a start of new fully synanthropised population in nothern part of Central Europe or is this just a fluctuaton? Can intense protection program in Austria be behind it, with their growing number of breeding pairs that "spills-over" north? Could Scops owl (re-?)colonize also NW Europe maybe reaching one day the UK?
In recent years, sporadic breeding records are increasingly seen in Germany and Czechia, both countries are outside its traditional distribution. Maybe it´s start of a trend and we might see this species clowly colonizing more of Europe? Increasing average temperatures might help this insect-eating species. Also increasing synanthropisation. In some areas like nothern Italy, majority of pairs breeds within urban enviroment on buildings. Cities form "higher temperature islands" so breeding in urban jungle might facilitate spread of the species towards colder areas.
Scops owl gets increasing attention at some countries like Austria, Slovakia or Hungary where dedicated programs exist to increase number of local breeding pairs by placing next boxes and agriculture land management. That shows good results.
What prompted me to this speculation about moving of nothern range are some recent records in Czechia. Estimate of local population of Scops owl is only 5-10 birds according to fairly recent literature, with scarce occasional breeding near Austrian border. However, those very few local ringers who are interested in them are able to catch over 15 birds each spring migration, some of them on ringing station in mountain valley on Polish/Czech border on their way north. Where are they going? With no return reports so far, nobody knows.
Vocalising territorial scop owls turn up in urban centers of some Czech cities increasingly, far from Austrian border. Currently, at least 3 of them are at Olomouc, 1 at České Budějovice, last year one was heard from April till July at Brno (second largest city here), two years ago an owl got into rescues station after hitting window in Hradec Králové.
Here is one owl at Olomouc, at ventilation opening in building of a local school, taken this week.
Are we witneses of a start of new fully synanthropised population in nothern part of Central Europe or is this just a fluctuaton? Can intense protection program in Austria be behind it, with their growing number of breeding pairs that "spills-over" north? Could Scops owl (re-?)colonize also NW Europe maybe reaching one day the UK?
