Effects of landscape spatial structure and composition on the settlement of the Eagle Owl Bubo bubo in a Mediterranean habitat

We analysed the breeding density of a Mediterranean Eagle Owl Bubo bubo pop ulation and the characteristics of the landscape surrounding the nest, in a n attempt to identify the determinants of habitat preferences within a radi us of 1000 m around each nest. A total of 59 nest site were identified (15. 3 nest sites 100 km(2); mean nearest neighbour distance 1770 m). Eleven var iables were correlated with the presence of an Eagle Owl nest: three variab les describing the patch composition of the landscape, three variables of l andscape heterogeneity, and five variables for minimum distance from landsc ape components. The comparison between the landscape features surrounding t he nest sites and the control plots (defining the whole landscape structure ) showed a significant difference. Openlands and landscape heterogeneity ar ound the nest are a key determinant for the settlement of the Eagle Owl.