Scale-dependent habitat associations of a rapidly declining farmland predator, the Little Owl Athene noctua, in contrasting agricultural landscapes

•We investigated habitat associations of rapidly declining Little Owl in Central Europe.•Habitat associations vary between spatial scales and three study regions.•Grasslands and rural green spaces are key habitats at the species home range scale.•Negative associations with woodland and urban habitats occur in specific regions.•Regional and interregional preferences can be informative in species conservation plans.