The Limassol - Amathus Sewerage Council (LACA), in the framework of its environmental and social policy, in cooperation with the Game and Wildlife Service, the installation of two nests for human birds in the area around the perimeter of the Stormwater Retention Pond in the area of Kato Polemidia, adopting the recommendation of the Council's Greenery Maintenance Contractor Mr.
This action is part of the pilot project for the creation of an extensive network of human bird nests, with the aim of increasing their population and biological control of rodents.
Human birds are nocturnal birds of prey of the owl family, very useful for agriculture, as a large part of their diet consists of rodents that cause incalculable damage to humans. A pair of man-birds together with their young consume thousands of rats and mice in a year, making man-birds one of the most valuable wild birds.
Their breeding season usually begins in late March to early April. It uses no nesting materials and lays between four and seven white-white eggs which are incubated by the female alone for about a month, while the male provides food during the female's incubation period. The eggs are laid every two days, sometimes longer. Incubation starts from the first egg and for this reason the chicks are unequal in size, due to a difference in hatching, they are nestlings and open their eyes on about the eighth day. They are nursed by both parents, acquire adult plumage directly between the third and seventh week, have the ability to fly at 60 days, and become independent at about ten weeks. It is worth noting that other species such as chickadees, thupiahs and golden egrets have been observed nesting in these nests.
The human owl, and all species of owls present in Cyprus, are strictly protected by law, although very often unscrupulous hunters kill them. Natural enemies of these birds are the fox and large birds of prey such as hawks and eagles but the biggest enemy of this bird in Cyprus is unfortunately man.
With this action, SALA contributes to the policy of the Game and Fauna Service, which since the mid-1990s until today has installed and controls every year more than 200 nests all over Cyprus, mainly in agricultural and livestock areas.
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