Translocation of a Blakiston's Fish Owl in Northern Hokkaido

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  • 北海道北部へのシマフクロウの人為的移動
  • ホッカイドウ ホクブ エ ノ シマフクロウ ノ ジンイテキ イドウ

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Abstract

After an over 44-year absence, a female Blakiston's fish owl Ketupa blakistoni, was discovered in northern Hokkaido, Japan, in 2006. The owl was born in 1987 in central-eastern Hokkaido, 96km from her new location. With the goal of reestablishing a breeding population in northern Hokkaido, a male owl that had spent 10 years in captivity was relocated to the area in October 2007. The male was kept in a cage within the range of the wild female for 2 weeks prior to release. Supplementary feeding continued after release, and hunting of these supplementary fish was frequently observed. Monitoring during the 4 months after release revealed that daytime roosts were concentrated within 400m of the release point. Although the frequency of calling, which is associated with territorial advertising and intra-pair communication, was much lower than in a wild breeding pair, the two focal individuals appeared to have a close relationship, as they shared roost sites and frequently hunted together. Unfortunately, the male drowned in a fish farm pond in June 2008. Nevertheless, the relocation of captive individuals, particularly to isolated single-settler habitats, should be a priority among conservation strategies for Blakiston's fish owls in Japan.

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