La chevêchette, mystérieuse et insaisissable. DR – Vincent Lhermet
La chevêchette, mystérieuse et insaisissable. DR – Vincent Lhermet
It's official: the pygmy owl has reproduced in the Cévennes National Park. A discovery that has given naturalists a hard time.
Spotting the pygmy owl in the Cévennes National Park (PNC) is a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack. The miniature owl measures just 17 cm high, making it the smallest nocturnal bird of prey in Europe.
In France, it is mainly found in the Vosges, the Jura and the Alps, although it is a boreal species. A few decades ago, it was apparently absent from the Massif Central. In 2016, it had already been seen on the Aigoual. But it was not until 2020 that the first reproduction was observed in Lozère, in Margeride.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000Since then, the miniature owl has continued to colonize new territories, ever further south. In the PNC, a first litter took flight in the summer of 2024, in the Sapet forest, in Saint-Étienne-du-Valdonnez.
An unsuccessful attempt in 2023
A first attempt at reproduction took place in the spring of 2023. The Park agent then in charge of this sector, Jean-Pierre Malafosse, even found pieces of eggshell at the foot of a tree, proving that a laying had indeed taken place. But the young never took flight.
“It failed for unknown reasons. Maybe due to a lack of resources, maybe because it was the first time they had reproduced“, considers Vincent Lhermet, a volunteer with the Ligue de protection des oiseaux (LPO), who participated in the monitoring.
Not enough to discourage the naturalist, who resumed surveys in the same area from autumn, the period when the nocturnal raptor sings to define its territory. To detect its presence, Vincent Lhermet used the technique known as “repassing”, which consists of broadcasting male songs. “You shouldn't overdo it because it disturbs the birds. We only do it for surveying. Once we found it, we did passive listening.” But the little owl that we were looking for remained silent.
It was not until early 2024, as part of a protocol by the LPO and the ONF, that we could find its trace. February is indeed the period of nuptial songs. While he was passing by, Vincent Lhermet saw a female land a few meters from him. But in the months that followed, the owl became very discreet. So much so that the naturalist believed that it was simply an isolated bird passing through. The pygmy owl usually sings from mid-February to March. The laying generally takes place a few weeks later and the hatching between mid and late April.
The perseverance of naturalists rewarded
In doubt, at the end of May, Vincent Lhermet went back to check if he could find any signs of the miniature owl. He was right to do so. At the foot of a spruce tree where he had spotted a great spotted woodpecker nest, the LPO volunteer discovered piles of feathers and bird remains. Proof of the presence of a pygmy owl, which feeds mainly on passerines.
Vincent Lhermet finally saw the little owl stick its head out of the hole, located 6 m high. He then returned to the site every three days. His perseverance finally paid off: in mid-June, he discovered an eggshell at the foot of the tree. The young came out of the nest for the first time around July 15. The naturalists were able to count three of them. After a few weeks, they took flight, in search of new territories.
To ensure the species' sustainability, the challenge now is to preserve its preferred environment: fairly old and mixed forests. Every year, operations to locate great spotted woodpecker lodges are carried out in order to avoid cutting them down.
I subscribe to read the rest