LA HAYE M, MERTENS F, NIEUWENWEG S & BAYEYENS G (1995) Habitat use of Tawny Owls Strix aluco in the Amsterdam Waterwork Dunes, as shown by telemetry. LIMOSA 68 (2): 72-76.

A population of Tawny Owls is studied in the coastal Amsterdam Waterwork Dunes ('AWD', fig. 1) since 1960. In the winter of 1994, two males were radiotagged in order to obtain information on their home ranges. Home range sizes, as shown by minimum polygon areas, were 87.8 ha ('Panneland', fig. 2) and 224.1 ha ('Haasveld', fig. 3). Most radio-locations were, however, concentrated in the 'core-area', a relatively small sector within the minimum polygon area. The core areas were 12-14 ha in size and consisted of coniferous and deciduous woodlots (Betula-Crataegus), scrub and plots of disused farmland. Densities of small mammals and birds were highest in open coniferous forest and on farmland plots (tab. 1). In the core areas, the herbaceous layer was poorly developed in winter, exposing small mammals to predators. An abundance of perches in the core areas (tab. 2) further facilitated hunting by Tawny Owls. The data explain why Tawny Owl density is higher in the patchy habitats of the inner dunes as compared to outer dunes where dense scrub and large open areas are less suitable for the owls. Tawny Owl Strix aluco

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