According to scientists, the barn owl on the Taman Peninsula is a rare breeding species, and its conservation requires biotechnical measures.
Scientists studied the nesting and feeding habits of barn owls on the Taman Peninsula. Representatives from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Southern Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SSC RAS), and the Marine Research Center of Moscow State University participated in the study.
As explained by the SSC RAS press service, this study demonstrated for the first time that barn owls, a sedentary species, nest in the northwestern part of Taman. It also revealed that they are not particularly rare in this region, although their population is generally low. According to experts, the barn owl on the Taman Peninsula is a rare breeding species, and its conservation requires biotechnical measures, such as hanging artificial nesting structures in suitable habitats.
A study of the avifauna of the Taman Peninsula was conducted in 2023-2024 using various route and point counting methods. For counts during the nesting season of owls (Western barn owl Tyto alba, little owl Athene noctua, and long-eared owl Asio otus), a direction-finding method was used - luring the birds with the sound broadcast of their species-specific territorial calls. The direction-finding was conducted in the deep evening twilight, according to an excerpt from the article "On the Nesting and Feeding of the Barn Owl on the Taman Peninsula," published in the proceedings of the scientific conference "Birds of Southern Russia." A total of 13 direction-finding points were used in March 2024, where response calls were recorded (and in some cases, approaching birds were observed) from 20 little owls, three long-eared owls, and three barn owls.
The barn owl's wingspan is reported to be 90 centimeters. The bird's height is up to 35 centimeters. It has a large head with a well-developed, heart-shaped facial disc.
Their coloration varies geographically, from near-white with a golden upperparts to a rufous-golden upperpart with an ash-colored upperpart. The owl received its Russian name ([sipukha] - “wheezer”) for its low, hoarse call.