Document is current

Article History

Received: 16 January 2019

Revised: 29 April 2019

Accepted: 8 May 2019

First Online: 27 May 2019

Compliance with ethical standards

:

: Handling and ringing of little owl nestlings in Germany was carried out under the permit of the regional council of Baden-Württemberg, Germany (licence No. 35e9185.81/0288), the regional council of Rheinland Pfalz (licence Az 42/553-253) and Stuttgart (licence Az 55-8853.17), the Struktur- und Genehmigungsdirektion (SGD) Süd and SGD Nord of Rheinland-Pfalz, as well as Vogelwarte Radolfzell (licences no. 1146, 1191; 1403 and 1903). Handling and ringing of the nestlings in Denmark was carried out under licence from Copenhagen Bird Ringing Centre (A-392 personal ringing licence to LBJ). The sampling of 5 growing breast feathers in Denmark was permitted by The Animal Experiments Inspectorate (#2011/561-17). Handling and ringing in the Netherlands was carried out under the licence from Vogeltrekstation, Dutch centre for avian migration and demography (R. van Harxen–848). The sampling of growing breast feathers in the Netherlands was permitted by Dierexperimentencommissie Koninklijke Academie van Wetenschappen/NIOO 13. 07 advies. All procedures followed the ASAB/ABS guidelines for the ethical treatment of animals in behavioural research and teaching and all applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. The handling of birds was performed with maximum care and disturbance to nests kept to a minimum. Ethical approval for involving animals in this study was received through the application procedure for ringing permits and the scientific commission of the Swiss Ornithological Institute.

: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.