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Titre :
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The role of fragmented habitats in facilitating dispersal of a nomadic predatory bird, the Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus (2025)
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Auteurs :
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John Calladine, Auteur ;
Chris Southall, Auteur ;
Neil Morrison, Auteur
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Type de document :
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Article
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Dans :
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Ringing & Migration (40(1) June, 2025)
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Article en page(s) :
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1-9
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Mots-clés:
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GPS tagging
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bird of prey
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conservation
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migration
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rodent predation
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Résumé :
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Habitat use by remotely tracked Short-eared Owls, tagged in Scotland but travelling widely around Europe and into North Africa, was assessed when they were away from their preferred extensive blocks of moorland and mire habitats. Birds spent 18% of their time away from extensive moorland and mire within landscapes that included pasture and arable farmland and, in some cases, isolated fragments of mire. Within modified farmed or built landscapes, they tended to use patches of seminatural or less intensively managed habitats. No evidence for increased mortality was found when birds were using such fragmented and likely ‘less favoured’ landscapes, with the exception of when in North African deserts. Such places represent an extreme case of habitat fragmentation within a hostile landscape. We present data that suggest a role for fragmented habitat patches within wider modified and hostile landscapes in facilitating the dispersal of mobile species towards higher-quality and more extensive habitats. Ensuring a network of such patches has the potential to increase the resilience of mobile species in its preferred habitat blocks and associated protected-area networks.
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En ligne :
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https://doi.org/10.1080/03078698.2025.2547711
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