Owls (Strigiformes Wagler, 1830) in Bulgaria: Past and Present (A Review of the Fossil Record and Present Status of Recorded Species)

Abstract

Two families, 8 genera, 12 species, and 13 subspecies of recent owls are recorded in Bulgaria. Two species (Bubo scandiacus and Strix nebulosa), established in the Pleistocene localities, disappeared from the country’s recent avifauna. The southernmost limits of the European breeding ranges of three species (Stix uralensis, Aegolius funereus, and Glaucidium passerinum) pass through the territory of Bulgaria. Three species are endangered, 2—vulnerable, 1—threatened, and all the 12 species are protected by law. Earliest record of owls came from Gelasian (2.5 Mya) and Calabrian (1.6 Mya). Bone finds of two Early Pleistocene localities are incompletely identified (as Asio and Athene, respectively). The find of Athene sp. is determined as the oldest European record of that genus. Some anthropogenic factors that cause owl mortality are also presented.