Habitat selection by Short-eared OwlsAsio flammeusin young coniferous forests

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Abstract
During the last 70 years Short-eared Owls have exploited the high vole numbers associated with the early stages of large afforestation programmes in northern Britain. As a result, both breeding distribution and population size have expanded. Now that many forests are maturing, this improved status may be under threat unless the owls can use new patches of young forest, created by a replanting programme. This paper describes the breeding distribution of Shorteared Owls in a large forest with a diverse age structure. Patches of new forest tended to be larger than replanted patches. In the first rotation, forests supported breeding owls for 12 years after planting; peak densities occurred at 3–¸7 years, and the age of the trees was the best predictor of owl numbers. Some patches of second-rotation forest also supported breeding owls, and the size of the patch was an important factor in determining whether it was used; the smallest occupied patch was 62 ha. Short-eared owls can continue to breed in replanted forests, provided that some restocked patches exceed a minimum threshold size.