Environmental and educational activity “Monitoring the wintering of long-eared owls” was held in Berehovo by Volunteer Center “Everybody Can Help” activists. The event’s goal was to get the community involved in monitoring long-eared owl wintering.
Leonid Pokrytyuk, an ornithologist, elaborated on the significance and features of such research for the development of Transcarpathia’s biodiversity. He showed visitors several flocks of birds that wintered in the city, emphasizing their connections with people.
Long-eared owls are a semi-migratory bird species. Migrations occur from February to April and October to November. European countries regularly monitor long-eared owl wintering. On the Transcarpathian Plain, for example, approximately a hundred locations are known.
The birds migrate south with the arrival of autumn, and they return to their native land with the arrival of spring. They usually migrate only 50-100 km. Some species, however, travel long distances, flying over 2,000 kilometers from Eastern Europe to Portugal.
Long-eared owls have the unusual habit of congregating in groups for daytime rest in winter. Flocks of birds can number in the tens or hundreds. The number is determined by the peculiarities of winter and the availability of food.
Birds congregate primarily in warm, wind-protected areas. Most of these locations are on the territory of settlements, although some are outside their borders. Owl groups form primarily on various conifers.
Depending on the attractiveness of the resting place, birds may use it for a short period of time, throughout the winter, or annually for many years.
The event was held by ornithologist Leonid Pokrytyuk with the participation of IDP children as part of the cooperation between the Institute of Ecological and Religious Studies- IERS (headed by Alexander Bokotey) and the Nature Conservation Union of Germany (NABU Bundesverband, NABU International), project coordinators – Ivan Tymofeiev (NABU), Nataliya Kulya (IERS).
Informational Service of IERS