The effect of corvid shooting on the populations of owls, kestrels and cuckoos in Cyprus, with notes on corvid diet

Autor: E. Hadjisterkotis
Rok vydání: 2003
Předmět:
Zdroj: Zeitschrift für Jagdwissenschaft. 49:50-60
ISSN: 1439-0574
0044-2887
DOI: 10.1007/bf02192013
Popis: On the island of Cyprus the magpiePica pica, the hooded crowCorvus corone cornix, and the jackdawCorvus monedula have long been considered serious predators of gamebirds and pests of agriculture. They may be shot during the hunting season, but also during the nesting season, when birds and nests are shot for population control. The study confirms that old nests of magpies and hooded crows are used for nesting by the long-eared owlAsio otus, which is a rare resident breeder. The shooting of magpie and hooded crow nests in Cyprus has most probably contributed to the reduced numbers of breeding long-eared owls on Cyprus, and also to the reduction of the populations of other species such as the Cyprus scops owlOtus scops cyprius and the kestrelFalco tinnunculus, which also nest in old nests of Corvidae. The feeding habits of the magpies and jackdaws were investigated by examining 66 gizzards of magpies and 6 gizzards of jackdaws. The main items in their diet were grasshoppers and cicadas, followed by barley and wheat. No gamebird remains were found in any of the samples examined. It is suggested that the shooting of Corvidae during the breeding season should cease for the benefit of the rarer species using their nest for breeding, but also to comply with the European Union council directive 79/409/EEC, Article 7.4 on the conservation of wild birds.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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