Using GPS tracking to determine movement patterns and foraging habitat selection of the Common Barn-owl (<i>Tyto alba</i>)

Abstract

For the first time a Common Barn-owl (Tyto alba) individual was tracked using aGPS technology to evaluate the use of a commercial and economic GPS pet tracker device, and totest GPS tracking as a technique for determining movement patterns and foraging habitatselection. A GPS pet tracker device was removed from its plastic frame and attached to the backof an adult male. The device recorded during eight consecutive nights a total of 12 501 waypoints.The home range, estimated as the minimum convex polygon, was 1746 ha. Tracks obtained allowedthe identification of three movement patterns that could be attributed to different behaviours: meandering, linear and point, corresponding to hunting, straight-lined flights and roosting,respectively. The overlap of tracks with a land cover map revealed that the owl selected vegetatedareas (except where pigs were present) and barren areas with pigs for hunting. The use of thistechnique represents an improvement for behavioural studies of this species.