We’ll soon find out the fate of eagle owls in the UK. Following the end of the public consultation period a report is now being drawn up by the Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs over the status of the eagle owl in Britain. If they recommend that the owl is classed as native wildlife then the owl will receive the full protection of the law, however, if they class it as an escapee and alien species then a cull could soon be on the way to eradicate the species from the countryside. there is thought to be about 40 pairs of this bird of prey surviving in the wild.
It’s thought that many of the birds have escaped from private collections and falconry centres but it’s also believed that some have flown in from mainland Europe. It’s thought that the last time that eagle owls lived ‘naturally’ in the UK was before the last Ice Age when the land bridge connecting us with mainland Europe still existed. However for hundreds of years there have been records of eagle owls (Bubo bubo) living wild in Britain. The eagle owl has always been a popular hunting bird for falconers and have been imported from the mainland for hundreds of years and these are thought to have been the source for the wild population. We do now know that the owls have been breeding successfully in the UK since at least 1993 when a breeding pair was studied in the Derbyshire Peak District. The current population of 40 breeding pairs are thought to be widespread with nests from the south of England up to the Scottish borders.
The eagle owl is a powerful and effective top predator and with a wingspan of 6 feet is it the largest owl in Britain and the third largest bird of prey behind the Golden Eagle and White Tailed Eagle. It’s natural range on the mainland Europe covers from Spain in the south up to Russia in the north. This means that is can cope with the terrain and climate of Britain and while no one can be sure that a self sustaining population will survive – the conditions are right and acceptable. A number of conservationists though are concerned over the impact of such an effective predator on our other wildlife. A fully grown eagle owl can easily take on a roe deer and there have been reports of the owls attacking our other birds of prey such as the endangered hen harrier. While the eagle owl can take on larger mammals for prey most of it’s diet appears to be rabbits and as such it poses no threat to game birds such as grouse or pheasant.
Both Natural England and the RSPB are particularly concerned over the impacts of eagles owls on the hen harrier population. With fewer than 6 nesting pairs of hen harriers left in England and species that could compete with them is a major problem. The likelihood of eagles owls competing for food resources with the hen harrier though is small. Hen harriers feed on voles and red grouse chicks while eagle owls prey on larger mammals such as rabbits. the threats to hen harriers are much more obvious and that’s gamekeepers and shoot owners. Until proper penalties and punishments are given out to shoot owners and gamekeepers for killing birds of prey then the potential cull of eagle owls will have no impact on the hen harriers survival rates. The biggest conservation measure that can happen for the hen harrier is the imprisonment of those who kill or sanction the killing of the birds, hopefully with the recent imprisonment of an egg collector the courts are finally realising that they have a real part to play in the conservation of endangered species in Britain.
photo credit: jurvetson
- Pensioner banned from taking pet owls for walks (telegraph.co.uk)
- Eagle owl greens pest control at East Midland airports (edie.net)
- ‘Wildlife criminal’ goes to jail for smuggling falcon eggs (guardian.co.uk)
I think the Eagle owl will be a valuable addition to the British fauna and its impact on other species will not be more than it is in other European countries at present