A howling, a high-pitched shriek, a kind of lament or alarm, are the voices of nocturnal raptors: owls, owls, owls, owls... Camouflage strategists are difficult to see, and some species are facing significant decline. But you can still hear them as the day declines and it is not always necessary to go out into the field. In urban and peri-urban parks there are owls, owls, owls or owls, and they even appear on boulevards or urbanizations with trees, such as the three eagle owls that revolutionized visitors to the Retiro Park in Madrid this March.
Among the nocturnal raptor species of the Iberian Peninsula, the eagle owl is the only one that grows. owls, owls and owls ―associated with agricultural environments― are in decline, while those in wooded areas, such as the little owl and the tawny owl, manage to remain stable. The lack of data on the country owl and the little owl prevent knowing their real status, indicate data from the Noctua program of the ornithology NGO SEO / BirdLife, which took its first steps 25 years ago and now has 55,000 records.
Many die run over, by collisions with power lines, affected by pesticides that eliminate rodents and insects, and by habitat loss, among other reasons, says Xavier Riera, head of the dissemination and training unit of the Catalan Institute of Ornithology (ICO). This expert in bird vocalizations, encourages listening to their song. "They're pretty easy to recognize, and the landscape changes forever when you know how to do it," he says. This is how the elusive and discreet nocturnal raptors sound.
The haughty eagle owl (Bubo bubo)
)Eagle owl in flight. Lillian King (Getty Images)
At the beginning of March, three eagle owls revolutionized the Retiro Park in Madrid. They were not the first in the capital, the first chicken of the species from the streets of Madrid arrived at the Brinzal nocturnal raptor recovery center 17 years ago. Since then, couples have increased in Madrid, gradually settling in different places discreetly, which shows that it is increasingly tolerant of humans.
It is the largest of the Iberian nocturnal raptors: it measures between 60 and 70 centimeters and weighs between 1.5 and 2.5 kilos and is the one that does best, with a growing population. SEO/BirdLife estimates that there are about 3,000 pairs in the Iberian Peninsula. If there is a rabbit, its densities increase, although it is a super predator, which eats voles, rats, medium-sized birds, lizards, frogs, fish ... However, in Catalonia the species is "close to threat", indicates the Ornithological Information Server of Catalonia.
Its main threat is the collision with power lines, which has caused the local decline of some populations. In Murcia, for example, one of the places with the most eagle owls, the species lost 297 specimens for that reason in 2021.
The disturbing barn owl (Tyto alba
)Barn owl (Tyto alba) perched on a branch. MARK HUGHES (MARKOH2011) (Getty Images)
The two dark eyes in the middle of a heart-shaped face, give the barn owl a ghostly appearance to which its squeaky and agonizing cry is joined. The species is in regression: its population declined by 35% between 2006 and 2018 and its distribution area has decreased by 43% in two decades, highlights SEO / BirdLife. In the Community of Madrid it is estimated that there are between 25 and 37 breeding pairs, when two decades ago there were 100, explain from Brinzal, where they help about 300 nocturnal raptors a year. In some habitats, such as the Cantabrian coast, it remains stable, although there are also cases of local extinction.
The bird, weighing 300 grams, likes mice, voles, shrews ... and small birds, and is a neighbor of man. It is installed in attics, ruins, churches and old attics. But intensification of agriculture and associated chemicals, particularly pesticides, affect their reproduction. They also lack places to nest due to the ruin of country houses and churches and the restoration works of historic buildings, which close the gaps. Outrages complete the deadly circle.
The tiny European scops owl (Otus scops
)The small, chubby European scops owl (Otus scops). Birol Dincer (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
It is the smallest of the nocturnal ones, measuring only 20 centimeters and weighing about 100 grams and its song is similar to an alarm or a sonar. Their plumage is so mimetic that they look like tree trunks. The scops owl likes traditional agricultural landscapes, with small groves, scattered trees, hedges, traditional orchards... But it is also installed in parks and gardens. It eats insects, and occasionally small birds, amphibians and reptiles. It has disappeared from 20% of its distribution area and there are particularly affected territories such as Extremadura or the Valencian Community. The results of the SEO/BirdLife Noctua program warn of a 32% reduction in the population between 2006 and 2018.
When it is installed near homes, it can disturb neighbors. Alberto Foruny, coordinator of the Brinzal nocturnal bird recovery center, says that every year they receive several calls to move an owl, because it does not let you sleep. "Something that, of course, we cannot do, in the city you have to learn to live with nature," he says.
The endangered little owl (Athene noctua)
A European owl with spread wings. Manuel ROMARIS (Getty Images)
This small owl with a plump silhouette and huge yellow eyes continues to be common in agricultural areas. But it is in regression. In two decades, it has disappeared from more than 20% of its habitat and the population has dropped more than 50%. Intensive agriculture is their main problem, to which are added the loss of nesting sites and the scarcity of insects and small mammals, the basis of their diet. Another threat is the abuse, especially in young individuals in July and August.
Common tawny owl (Strix aluco
)A tawny owl (Strix aluco), whose population remains stable. Shirley Milburn (Getty Images)
Joan Carles Senar, head of Research at the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona, recounts the surprise when he discovered a tawny owl on a promenade in Barcelona, near the Ciutadella Park. "It needs big trees, because it nests in its holes, and there they are," he describes. They are plump, black-eyed and can reach 600 grams. It is one of the populations that manages to remain stable. Its typical habitat is deciduous forest, pastures and urban parks. It is not very select with the diet and eats mammals, birds, fish, lizards and insects, which can contribute to its maintenance.
Little owl (Asio otus)
)Specimen of little owl (Asio octus), another of the nocturnal raptors that remains stable. Sonya Wilson (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The little owl is one of the most unknown raptors, with orange eyes and about 300 grams of weight, it also endures. Its population remains stable, according to data from the Noctua program. It is quite common in southern Europe and lives in small groves and coniferous forests surrounded by extensive open areas for hunting. It also goes completely unnoticed and eats, above all, rodents: voles, mice, rats and to a lesser extent birds and insects.
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