In September young little owls go in search of their own territory – but times are tough and populations are plummeting. Yet it’s a struggle to get this non-native species onto the conservation agenda in Britain. Matt Swaine meets the researchers trying to find a solution.
The stand-off in Nestbox Two came as a surprise to everyone. The only way that the barn owl could have accessed the dark nest chamber
was by squeezing through the tiny entrance hole and dragging itself along on its sternum though a narrow tunnel of chicanes. A motion-triggered camera stirred into life to capture the menacing glare of the interloper as its appearance sent the female little owl backing into a corner.
But what came as no surprise was how vigorously she defended her four precious eggs. Little owls have been described as among the finest parents in the bird world, and she lived up to her billing, launching herself fiercely at an intruder twice her size. Seconds after he had retreated she settled back to the business of incubation, but when the eggs hatched six days later he soon returned.
“At that point he must have heard the chicks,” says Dr Emily Joachim, who set up the UK Little Owl Project and monitors this box in Wiltshire as part of her work. “There were plenty of vacant boxes around so we can be pretty sure he wasn’t looking to breed there. He knew the chicks were inside, and this time there was a brutal fight. He covered all four nestlings with his wings then picked one up with his tarsus. In the ensuing fight he left one chick injured, and exited the nest dragging another with him.”
OWL DIARIES
Without the camera, the chicks’ disappearance could have led Emily to a more macabre conclusion. “With no other food items in the box, I initially thought that the site was having problems with prey availability, and that the parents might have fed one of their chicks to the other young,” she says. “But the video changed the whole narrative.”
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
World's First Malaria Vaccine
The World Health Organization’s director-general hails ‘historic moment’ as mass immunisation of African children begins
Is River Pollution Putting The Species In Jeopardy Again?
Ten years ago, it was jubilantly announced that o ers had returned to every county in England. But is river pollution putting the species in jeopardy again?
The Big Burnout
Long hours, low pay and a lack of appreciation — among other things — can make for a stressful workplace and lead to burnout. It’s something we should all be concerned about, because over half of the workforce reports feeling it
Putting Nature To Rights
More countries are enshrining the right to a clean environment into law. So if a company or government is impinging upon that right, you could take them to court
Mega Spaceship: Is It Possible For China To Build A Kilometre-Long Spacecraft?
Buoyed on by its successful Moon missions, China has launched a five-year study to investigate the possibility of building the biggest-ever spacecraft
Are We Getting Happier?
Enjoying more good days than bad? Feel like that bounce in your step’s getting bigger? HELEN RUSSELL looks into whether we’re all feeling more cheery…
“Unless the Japanese got the US off their backs in the Pacific, they believed they would face complete destruction”
Eighty years ago Japan’s surprise raid on Pearl Harbor forced the US offthe fence and into the Second World War. Ellie Cawthorne is making a new HistoryExtra podcast series about the attack, and she spoke to Christopher Harding about the long roots of Japan’s disastrous decision
Your Mysterious Brain
Science has mapped the surface of Mars and translated the code for life. By comparison, we know next to nothing about what’s between our ears. Over the next few pages, we ask leading scientists to answer some of the most important questions about our brains…
Why Do We Fall In Love?
Is it companionship, procreation or something more? DR ANNA MACHIN reveals what makes us so willing to become targets for Cupid’s arrow
Detecting the dead
Following personal tragedy, the creator of that most rational of literary figures, Sherlock Holmes, developed an obsession with spiritualism. Fiona Snailham and Anna Maria Barry explore the supernatural interests of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle