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UBPRC – Ukrainian Birds of Prey Research Centre

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Technique on attracting small birds of prey for breeding on the territory of Regional Landscape Park «Mezhrechenskii»

08/06/2010. Posted in Misc, Photos

In spring 2010 we started works to attract birds of prey in artificial nests on the territory of RLP “Mezhrechenskii” located in Kozelets and Chernihiv districts of Chernihiv region.

As nesting platforms we used old wicker baskets, some of which had previously been repaired. Installed baskets are substitutes for natural nests of Corvidae, readily populated by those species of birds of prey, who themselves do not build their nests. Baskets were filled with forest litter with a small admixture of soil. Installed nests were fixed with wire.

Handle on the basket will be removed only when installing the nest
Choosing place in the tree crown to set the nest
Forest litter are laid as close as possible to the basket edges
Fixing the basket in a fork of the tree
Placing the nest
The nest installed on the aspen is promising to be nested with falcons
Just fixed the nest and are slowly climbing down
Fixed in the tree-top – invitation for a small falcon
Pine-tree areas of the forest are readily nested with the Long-eared Owl and Hobby Falcon
This artificial nest in a group of birches must be attractive for the Kestrel
Flying Hobby Falcon. Photo by R. Vatrasevich.
Desna floodplain in Mezhrechenskyi in early spring. View from a breeding site of the Hobby Falcon.

Sites for nests installation were selected in the forests near open areas, which are most preferred habitats of Long-eared Owls and two species of small falcons: Hobby Falcon and Kestrel. To do this, we also have mounted nests in the Desna floodplain. For successful occupation of baskets by small falcons we placed them in the top of the crown, for Long-eared Owls location of a nest on the tree was unprincipled.
In future, to attract birds of prey in the park, we plan to increase the number of installed artificial nests for both diurnal and nocturnal raptors.

Sergey Domashevsky


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