Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10174/36907

Title: Structured citizen science to unravel the distribution of wintering Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus) in Portugal
Authors: Falé, João
Tomé, Ricardo
Lourenço, Rui
Roque, Inês
Leitão, Alexandre
Keywords: citizen science
bird census
Issue Date: 2023
Citation: João Falé, Ricardo Tomé, Rui Lourenço, Inês Roque, Alexandre Leitão, Ana Botelho, António Gonçalves, António Monteiro, Carlos Almeida, Carlos Santos, Filipe Canário, Guillaume Rethoré, Helder Cardoso, Hugo Lousa, Joana Santana, Jorge Safara, Luís Reino, Paulo Alves, Paulo Encarnação, Pedro Cardia, Pedro Henriques, Pedro Moreira, Ricardo Brandão, Rui Machado, Sérgio Correia, Tiago Caldeira, Tiago Carvalho (2023) Structured citizen science to unravel the distribution of wintering Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus) in Portugal. Abstract book of the 7th World Owl Conference, La Crosse/Onalaska WI USA. p. 23
Abstract: Citizen science has proven to be very useful in ornithology, especially for data collection of the distribution of discrete raptors. Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus) are present in Portugal during winter, where their reduced vocal activity, low density and crepuscular habits hamper detection. Nevertheless, the overall decline of its European populations emphasizes the importance of determining its distribution in Portugal, estimating the size of the wintering population, and establishing a baseline for future assessments. To accomplish this, we assigned regional coordinators to 20 areas, who were responsible for recruiting amateur observers across pre-selected priority areas. In December 2021 and January 2022, the participants conducted sampling points with playbacks at sunset, followed by car transects. This sampling effort totalled 400 h and resulted in the recording of 91-112 wintering Short-eared Owls in Portugal. The 178 volunteers allowed for extensive coverage of the priority areas. The results support the previously known relevance of areas such as the Tagus estuary, but raised some concern, especially about the Sado estuary, where this species was thought to be more abundant in the ’90s. The census also yielded the first record in the Castelo Branco area. The extensive coverage of suitable habitat areas for the species would likely be impossible without the involvement of so many volunteers, and this is of major importance in elucidating the distribution of discrete raptors. This shows that well-managed citizen science programs can play an important role in elucidating the distribution and addressing knowledge gaps about raptors, regardless of their cryptic habits.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10174/36907
Type: article
Appears in Collections:BIO - Artigos em Livros de Actas/Proceedings
MED - Artigos em Livros de Actas/Proceedings

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