Abstract
We describe the event of Long-eared Owls Asio otus nesting on an island within a colony of Caspian Gulls Larus cachinnans at the Mietków Reservoir (SW Poland). The owls nested in an old (possible corvid) nest in a willow and raised two owlets. They probably did not hunt gulls, neither adults nor chicks. We suggest that, in this case, the Long-eared Owls benefitted from breeding within a gull colony because of the added security against predators that the gulls provided.
Highlights
The choice of a suitable habitat is presumably the result of integration of different habitat patches satisfying the different requirements of individuals (Orians & Wittenberger 1991)
While studying Caspian Gulls Larus cachinnans in their breeding colony in 2020, we found Long-eared Owls in a nest of unknown previous occupants
Many authors have described situations where colonial birds nested close to owls. These were mainly wildfowl like Bean Geese Anser fabalis, Snow Geese A. caerulescens, Greater White-fronted Geese A. albifrons, Brent Geese Branta bernicla, or King Eiders Somateria spectabilis nesting in association with Snowy Owls Bubo scandiacus (Summers et al 1994, Tremblay et al 1997, Ebbinge & Spaans 2002, Quinn et al 2003, van Kleef et al 2007, Kharitonov et al 2009, Kharitonov et al 2013)
Summary
The choice of a suitable habitat is presumably the result of integration of different habitat patches satisfying the different requirements of individuals (Orians & Wittenberger 1991). Because a choice may enhance reproductive success, the behaviour involved. Nest-site selection might be related to protective nesting associations. They relate to those in which one or more associate species benefit directly from the protection provided by the other associate. The latter forms a protective umbrella around its own nest, thereby excluding mutual predators from the area (Quinn & Ueta 2008)
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