What Rabbits Do for Owls: teacher key

Eurasian Eagle-Owls, grade 10 edition, written for 10th grade. In Spain, scientists followed hundreds of eagle-owl territories for years. Their studies show how prey, breeding and movement shape the owl's life and its recovery in Europe.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. What did the Spanish modelling find was the most important factor in whether a territory was reoccupied?
   • Breeding success in the year before (answer)
   • Its distance from a road
   • The color of the owls
2. According to the Spanish study, what may explain year-to-year changes in breeding success?
   • Changes in the moon
   • Changes in the number of cliffs
   • Changes in the abundance of European rabbits (answer)
3. How many of the seven GPS-tracked owls in Norway made long autumn excursions?
   • Five (answer)
   • Two
   • Seven
4. What may have helped eagle-owls recover quickly in Spain?
   • High reproductive rates (answer)
   • Living in trees
   • A short life
5. Why might scrub areas matter for eagle-owls in Spain?
   • They favour rabbits, which the owls eat (answer)
   • They are close to cliffs
   • They are cold
6. How long did researchers count a pair as successful if it raised a young one?
   • Until the young was 50 to 60 days old (answer)
   • Until it was one day old
   • Until it was 5 years old

Words

• subpopulations: smaller local groups
• elusive: hard to find
• excursions: long trips
• raptors: birds of prey