Tree and habitat preferences for open limb and cavity roosts of the spotted owlet Athene brama (Temminck, 1821) in southern India

Abstract

Knowledge about habitat requirements of wildlife is a basic need for conservation. We characterized the roost sites of the spotted owlets Athene brama evaluating 134 open limb and 95 cavity roost trees during 2007–2009 from Madurai district, southern India. Roosts occurred most often in banyan trees Ficus benghalensis (47.0% of open limb and 36.8% of cavity roosts). Number of cavity openings and height of lowest limb differed significantly between open limb and cavity roosts (Mann–Whitney U test, P < 0.05). The spotted owlets used larger trees with a wider basal circumference and canopy volume for open limbs, while roost height, diameter at breast height, total limbs, number cavity openings, and height of lowest limb were larger in cavity roosts. The roost trees were closer to human settlements than other habitat types. Based on our results, we concluded that the spotted owlets preferred roost trees closer to foraging areas and large tree with dense canopy because the roosts located in larger trees are protected from sunlight exposure and provide cover from predators.