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
