Ural Owl Strix uralensis population dynamics and range expansion in western Ukraine

Abstract

Until the end of the 20th century, the distribution of the Ural Owl Strix uralensis was limited to the Carpathian Mountain area of southwestern Ukraine. The abundance and distribution of Ural Owls in the Ukrainian Roztochchya area was investigated in 2005 and 2007; the density of owls was found to be 1.7-2.0 pairs/10 km2. The species was a very rare vagrant in this area at the beginning of 1990s. The population of the owl has expanded in the past decade and it is now a common species in almost all of western Ukraine. The first indication of a change in the owl population was through an increase in the number of wintering specimens (including those killed on roads). The Ural Owl prefers old beech and rarely uses mixed forests in newly settled forest areas.