GROEN LG & VOOUS KH (1973) First record of Tengmalm. LIMOSA 46 (3): 199-204.

Tengmalm's Owl Aegolius funereus Between 15 and 30 September 1971 a dead young Tengmalm's Owl Aegolius funereus was found in the predominantly coniferous forests at Gasselte, province of Drente. The bird was originally considered to be a young Little Owl Athene noctua, so that little attention was paid to it and no search was made after the possible occurrence of other Tengmalm's Owls, either young or old, at the site where it was found. It was the taxidermist who first discovered that it was a young Tengmalm's Owl. Nevertheless the mounted specimen was sold and was only recovered more than a year later, the present proprietor being unaware of the faunistic value of the specimen. The bird is in a complete juvenile, downy plumage; wing and tail feathers are not yet full-grown (Fig. 1). It represents the first record of a Tengmalm's Owl in the Netherlands. One may wonder whether it was raised in the Gieter- and Gasselter State Forests which seem to offer a suitable habitat for this species. Though the state of development of the young bird could be considered to be indicative of a local breeding case, attention is called to the extensive post-juvenal dispersal known in this species 'as verified by the recoveries of ringed fledglings and nest young. The Gasselter young is very late in the season, but similar late breeding cases have been recorded in the literature. These are usually considered as repIacement clutches. But some of these could perhaps also have been second clutches in periods of food abundance. Such a situation is known to have occurred in North Germany in 1971 resulting in an exceptionally high production of young Tengma1m's Owls (Sche1per 1972)! The nearest breeding places of Tengma1m's Owls are at distances of ca. 250 km in Western Germany (Liineburger Heide, Harz, Westphalia) and Belgium (Hautes Fagnes).

[free pdf] [dutch summary]