First ‘ambitious’ study documents breeding pattern of Mottled Wood-Owl

“It was an ambitious effort, as we conducted periodic observations on Mottled Wood-Owls, identified nests, and collected information on their reproductive success around Pune,” Dr Pande told The Indian Express.

“We considered nests where eggs were laid to be a breeding attempt. A successful breeding attempt was one where at least one nestling survived to fledge. We made efforts to locate nests by passive auditory surveys at dawn and dusk. We also gathered information from farmers and shepherds and then identified 15 breeding pairs,” he said.

“For five pairs in the season, researchers were able to identify the nest tree early, to observe the entire reproductive cycle. For the remaining pairs, the nests were found when the young were nearly fledged. We have no data for some years, because we were unable to find the nests. The latitude and longitude at each nest site, nest tree species, and collection of all pellets at the base of the tree helped us understand the Wood-Owl.The overall breeding success was 95 per cent .

“From the 1,033 pellets analysed, they identified 711 preys, including insects, small mammals (rodents, shrews , bats, birds (11 per cent), and reptiles (9 per cent). Meanwhile, in three different nests, young ones died of secondary poisoning, apparently due to feeding on poisoned rats delivered to the nest by the parents. Among local farmers, the use of rat poisons is a common practice for controlling agricultural pests, and the remains of dead rats… smelled of pesticides,” said Pande.

“These owls placed their nests in old trees with thick and robust trunks, in natural hollows or cracks that were open to the sky. Mango trees were most commonly used, but nests were also found in tamarind trees. The species’ habit of nesting in large, old trees, including dead trees, coupled with its sparse population, could however pose a conservation threat. In our study, two traditional nest trees… were felled for human purposes. In the future, researchers and local conservation strategists should recommend preservation of old trees, whether alive or dead. The study data also suggests that the Mottled Wood-Owl’s breeding capacity could impose constraints on the population, particularly in the face of increased human encroachment in rural areas,” added Pande.