Habichts owl returns to the Almtal after 150 years!

Habichts owl returns to the Almtal after 150 years!

In Upper Austria, something is happening in the world of birds: the hawk owl (Strix Uralensis), once at home in this country 100 to 150 years ago, is about to return. Last Friday afternoon, the kick-off event for the comprehensive resettlement project was held in the Grünau Wildpark in the Almtal. The aim is to establish a stable population that is to be secured by connecting adjacent populations in Vienna, Lower Austria as well as Germany and the Czech Republic. Vol.at reports that the project under the direction of Richard Zink, an expert by the Konrad Lorenz Institute for Comparative Behavioral Research and the Austrian Bird Commerce.

The causes of the disappearance of this great owl are diverse: people have strongly added to it through kills and loss of nature -related leaf mixed forests with old trees. Habichtskätze are dependent on red books that secure the food supply for their main food - mice.

track record and challenges

to the forests of Austria. Over 15 years ago, the first hawk owl were released in the Biosphere Park Wienerwald and in the Dürrenstein wilderness area. These measures carried out to date have already been successfully crowned: in recent years, numerous young birds have been raised in the wild. Since 2011, the reproduced animals have been breeding out in the field, which shows that the knot could burst if the genetic diversity is sufficiently guaranteed.

in the Almtal, which offers an excellent connection to the Kalkalpen National Park, the hope is great to soon be able to establish a new occurrence in the forests. Whether this can succeed also depends on the stable population in the adjacent areas, so that an exchange between these groups is possible. This exchange is crucial to ensure the genetic diversity and thus ensure the survival of the species in the European metapopulations. Citizen science.at emphasizes that over 50 breeding pairs in Central Europe are actively working on creating this connection.

The next steps

Specific measures are planned for the coming months: five to ten hawk owls are to be kept in a spacious enclosure in the forest until they are released into freedom around the 90th day of life. Especially at the beginning, the animals are supported with food so that they can find their way better in their new habitat. The long -term goal is to develop an inventory of 20 to 30 breeding pairs, which indicates a stable population. This is a major challenge, especially in view of the fact that climate change could put pressure on the living conditions for beech trees in the eastern regions. bundesforste.at informs that protected areas and sustainable forest management were able to significantly improve the living conditions for the hawk owl in Austria.

economy and nature conservation should go hand in hand, because there is something: a green future for the hawk owl and its domestic forests. The resettlement is a striking step and could not only promote biological diversity, but also make a contribution to an environmentally conscious Austria.