Hi,
I would like to get advice for locating nest hole of The Eurasian pygmy owl (Glaucidium passerinum).
It is pretty easy to locate singing males, but I find it hard/impossible to locate the nest hole. I suspect that the male sing at different places in its territory and that the song itself is not a good indicator of being in close proximity to the nest?
Hi, this is a question for my friend who is interesting in pygmy owl in Slovakia - S. Pacenovsky. I forward this question. My point of view - I have knowledges only with tawny owls - there is also problem locating nest hole. It is important - in deciduous forest to know holes - founded in autumn and winter.
I have no experience with trying to locate it through male behaviour. But when the female is inside incubating eggs or brooding young, she seems to respond to the male call with her own high-pitch whistle from the nest hole. And after the chicks hatch, the female starts cleaning the nest and a pile of fur and feathers in front of the nest tree reveal the nest.
Yes, it is really not easy to locate a nest-hole of the Pygmy Owl. The male´s advertising call gives only a very rough information on exact nest location. The male calls at different sites inside its quite large (usually 30 ha or more) territory. To find a nest-hole is necessary to gain some knowledge on all suitable cavities inside broader territory of the male. Finding of the nest-hole depends on stage of the breeding: if it is in "early" stage of mating season, or in incubation period, or in stage of feeding the young in the nest. The high pitched female´s begging call is a good tool in all of above mentioned situations. Once You find the location of the calling female inside the male´s territory, then usually calls of delivery of the food from male to female can help in exact location of the nest-hole. And the other thing, what Toni mentioned, is also true. Cleaning of the occupied nest-hole by female, either in early period of incubation, or in period of hatching and feeding of the young birds in the nest can reveal the nest- site by pieces of feather and fur, as well as plenty of pellets below the nest-hole.
Thanks, I will follow these advice when searching for nest this season.
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