Already 248 hunting poles installed for Scops owl
In July 2020 within the installation of the hunting poles for Scops owl continued. Scops owl is a small owl that feeds on grasshoppers, mole crickets, field crickets and small mammals. Scops owl mainly forage for prey from higher ground such as trees, hedges, electrical wires and fences and then catch the prey with sharp claws and beak.
In areas where such foraging places are rare, wooden hunting poles are being installed. Between 2018 and July 2020 248 hunting poles have been already installed to improve foraging habitat for this endangered bird. Scientific study with GPS telemetry of the foraging habitat use already confirmed the importance of hunting poles for Scops owl within Natura 2000 area Goričko. 
Hunting poles are being placed at the edges of meadows. (photo by: G. Domanjko)
The first hunting poles were installed together with BirdLife Slovenia volunteers in 2013. Since 2018, they have been installed as part of the Gorička krajina project. By the end of the project, a total of 400 hunting poles is planned to be installed. Hunting poles are primarily intended to improve the foraging habitat of Scops owl but are often used by other farmland birds. Red-backed shrike, common kestrel, buzzard and yellowhammer are common users of the poles. White storks occasionally rest on the top of the poles. Such hunting poles can be placed in gardens and orchards. Poles attract predatory birds which feed on mice, voles and large insects.
