1. Sensory pollutants have negative but different effects on nestbox occupancy and breeding performance of a nocturnal raptor across EuropeGiuseppe Orlando, Luca Nelli, Paul Baker, Patrik Karell, Al Vrezec, 2026, original scientific article Abstract: Anthropogenic noise and artificial light at night (ALAN) are expanding globally, acting as pervasive sensory pollutants that can disrupt wildlife behaviour and reproduction. While most research has focused on diurnal species, the effects of these pollutants on the ecological response of nocturnal predators remain poorly understood. Using data from nine European countries, we investigated the effects of traffic noise, ALAN, and road proximity on nestbox occupancy and reproduction in the Tawny Owl (Strix aluco), a nocturnal raptor widespread across Europe. Traffic noise consistently reduced both nestbox occupancy and reproductive success regardless of road proximity. ALAN also impaired occupancy and reproduction, but its negative effect on reproduction changed based on the proximity to roads. Interestingly, the negative effect of ALAN was stronger in sites further from roads, but it attenuated in their proximity, where owls' hatching success and brood size moderately improved. This finding suggests that near roads, where prey abundance and availability are also generally high, owls may either find the prey regardless of ALAN or they may exploit it to facilitate hunting and brood provisioning. However, vicinity to roads might enhance mortality by vehicle collisions, which represents one of the greatest threats for the conservation of owls. Our findings highlight that anthropogenic noise and the co-occurrence between ALAN and roads can affect settlement decisions and breeding performance in nocturnal raptors, with potential consequences across the food chain. Mitigating anthropogenic noise and promoting nighttime-lighting systems that minimize owls' presence close to roads will represent valuable actions to improve their conservation.
Keywords: ALAN, anthropogenic noise, owls, reproductive fitness, roadside habitats, raptor conservation, conservation biology
Published in DiRROS: 14.10.2025; Views: 361; Downloads: 166
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2. A schematic sampling protocol for contaminant monitoring in raptorsSilvia Espín, Jovan Andevski, Guy Duke, Igor Eulaers, Pilar Gómez-Ramírez, Gunnar Thor Hallgrimsson, Al Vrezec, 2021, other scientific articles Abstract: Birds of prey, owls and falcons are widely used as sentinel species in raptor biomonitoring programmes. A major current challenge is to facilitate large-scale biomonitoring by coordinating contaminant monitoring activities and by building capacity across countries. This requires sharing, dissemination and adoption of best practices addressed by the Networking Programme Research and Monitoring for and with Raptors in Europe (EURAPMON) and now being advanced by the ongoing international COST Action European Raptor Biomonitoring Facility. The present perspective introduces a schematic sampling protocol for contaminant monitoring in raptors. We provide guidance on sample collection with a view to increasing sampling capacity across countries, ensuring appropriate quality of samples and facilitating harmonization of procedures to maximize the reliability, comparability and interoperability of data. The here presented protocol can be used by professionals and volunteers as a standard guide to ensure harmonised sampling methods for contaminant monitoring in raptors.
Keywords: best practices, birds of prey, falcons, large-scale biomonitoring, owls, Pan-European network
Published in DiRROS: 06.08.2024; Views: 1070; Downloads: 614
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3. A preliminary overview of raptor monitoring in Slovenia : an overview of methodologies, current monitoring status and future perspectivesAl Vrezec, 2012, review article Abstract: Among 48 raptor species (birds of prey, owls, shrikes) recorded recently in Slovenia, some long-term monitoring activities are being conducted for more than half of them, mainly for conservation and research purposes. However, national coverage is achieved only in 15% of the species, whereas other monitoring programmes are more or less local. Two monitoring approaches are considered, the species specific approach and assemblage approach. Current ongoing monitoring programmes for raptors in Slovenia lack monitoring of breeding success, which is now confined to only a few owl species. Use of nestboxes should therefore be considered more broadly in the future for some species at least.
Keywords: Slovenia, raptor monitoring, birds of prey, owls, shrikes, monitoring methodology
Published in DiRROS: 06.08.2024; Views: 877; Downloads: 521
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4. Overview of raptor monitoring activities in EuropeAl Vrezec, Guy Duke, András Kovács, Pertti Saurola, Chris Wernham, Ian Burfield, Paola Movalli, Irena Bertoncelj, 2012, review article Abstract: Despite the key role of raptors (including birds of prey Falconiformes and owls Strigiformes) in ecosystems and their sensitivity to environmental change, a well coordinated, Europe-wide monitoring of raptors is lacking. EURAPMON, a Research Networking Programme of the European Science Foundation, was launched with the aim of establishing a sustainable Europewide network for monitoring of raptors. An overview of current monitoring schemes for raptor populations in 28 European countries, as reported by EURAPMON National Coordinators at the workshop in Murcia (Spain) in 2012, showed existing monitoring schemes to be limited to a restricted number of species (mostly diurnal and rare raptor species). The most widely monitored species are the Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos amongst diurnal raptors and the Eagle Owl Bubo bubo amongst owls. Broad coverage of a species range across Europe is reached only for restricted-range species. The key driver for monitoring, which is mostly coordinated by NGOs, is conservation, and the main end users are governmental institutions. International collaboration in the field of monitoring of raptors is mainly regional and not yet pan-European in scale. The involvement of volunteers in raptor monitoring was perceived as the main strength of many schemes, but insufficient manpower and a focus on rare species were recognised as the main weaknesses across Europe as a whole. Among priorities identified for the future development of monitoring schemes are: improvements to national coordination; support to increase the number of volunteers; and assurances of stable funding. Further analysis of EURAPMON questionnaires will identify knowledge gaps, which will steer good practice guidance on survey methodologies; the need for the latter was identified as the main benefit that National Coordinators expect to gain from international networking
Keywords: Europe, raptor monitoring scheme, birds of prey, owls, monitoring inventory
Published in DiRROS: 06.08.2024; Views: 1124; Downloads: 648
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