Rare honour for Britain’s vanishing owls
September 11th, 2011 - 10:45 am ICT by IANSLondon, Sep 11 (IANS) Two of Britain’s most secretive owls — shadowy long-eared owl and its short-eared cousin — will be classified as “rare” to find out if they are disappearing, Daily Express reported.
These owls are to come under the gaze of conservationists.
Concern has risen since 20 years ago there were only 1,500 nesting pairs of long-eared owls and 1,000 pairs of short-eared owls. Their numbers are feared to have declined further.
The Rare Breeding Birds Panel, experts supported by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the British Trust for Ornithology, last week announced it would start monitoring both owls and three other species: the willow tit, the Arctic skua and lesser-spotted woodpecker.
Inclusion of owls in the panel’s annual report has surprised birdwatchers.
RSPB spokesman Grahame Madge said: “The inclusion will encourage birdwatchers to look out and note any signs of nesting. Hopefully, further records will shed light on these masters of darkness.”
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