Based on pellets analysis from five localities in south western Slovakia (Malá Mužla, Malé Ripňany, Obid, Opatovský Sokolec and Tešedíkovo), we studied the diet composition of Barn Owl (Tyto alba) in intensively cultivated agricultural lands. A total of 6218 specimens of prey, 17 mammalian and 7 bird species were identified. The main prey species found in all food samples was the Common Vole (Microtus arvalis), varying between 56 % and 67 %. The proportion of synanthropic species (Rattus norvegicus, Passer domesticus) and species inhabiting agricultural landscapes (Crocidura leucodon, Crocidura suaveolens, Mus sp.) increases in localities with a lower ratio of the Common Vole. The results suggest land use affects the diet of Barn Owls, confirming conclusions which have been drawn in previous studies. From faunistic point of view, discovering the Pannonian Root Vole (Microtus oeconomus mehelyi) in the diet from Malá Mužla was important.

Food supply in the nesting territories of species has a key role to the species diet composition and their breeding success. Red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus) preys predominantly on larger insect species with a supplementary portion of smaller vertebrates. In the breeding periods 2014 and 2016 their food supply, focusing on Orthoptera, Mantodea, Rodentia and Eulipotyphla, was analysed at five historical nesting sites of the species in Slovakia. Preference for these prey groups in the diet was also studied at the last active nesting site in this country. Overall we recorded 45 Orthoptera species (of which 23 species are known as the food of the red-footed falcon), one species of Mantodea, 10 species of Rodentia (of which 2 species are known as the food of the red-footed falcon) and 5 species of the Eulipotyphla order in the food supply. With regard to the availability of the falcons' preferred food, in both years the most suitable was the Tvrdošovce site, which continuously showed the greatest range and abundance of particular species. In the interannual comparison the insects showed lower variability in abundance than the small mammals. In 2014 the growth of the common vole (Microtus arvalis) population culminated and with the exception of a single site (Bodza) a slump in abundance was recorded in 2016. In comparing the diet composition with the food supply at the last Slovak breeding site Rusovce (Special Protection Area Sysľovské polia), we recorded significant preference for grasshopper Caliptamus italicus (in 2014), common vole (in 2016) and cricket Tettigonia viridissima (in both years) in the falcons' diet. They did not prey on the Apodemus sylvaticus species belonging among the abundant small mammal species in that locality. Conservation measures in the agricultural landscape are discussed in relation to homogeneous red-footed falcon breeding territories.Abstrakt: Potravná ponuka v hniezdnych teritóriách druhov hrá kľúčovú úlohu pre zloženie potravy druhov a ich hniezdny úspech. Sokol kobcovitý (Falco vespertinus) loví prevažne väčšie druhy hmyzu, dopĺňané menšími stavovcami. V hniezdnom období rokov 2014 a 2016 bola na piatich historických hniezdiskách druhu na Slovensku sledovaná jeho potravná ponuka so zameraním na Orthoptera, Mantodea, Rodentia a Eulipotyphla. Na poslednom aktívnom hniezdisku sa študovalo aj zastúpenie týchto skupín v potrave. Celkovo sme zaznamenali 45 druhov Orthoptera (z toho 23 druhov je známych ako potrava sokola kobcovitého), jeden druh Mantodea, 10 druhov Rodentia (z toho 2 druhy sú známe ako potrava sokola kobcovitého) a 5 druhov radu Eulipotyphla. Z hľadiska potravnej ponuky bola v oboch rokoch najvhodnejšia lokalita Tvrdošovce, ktorá kontinuálne vykazovala najvyššie druhové bohatstvo a abundanciu jednotlivých druhov. V medziročnom porovnaní hmyz vykazoval menšiu variabilitu početnosti ako drobné cicavce. V roku 2014 totiž vrcholila gradácia populácie hraboša poľného (Microtus arvalis), ktorá s výnim-kou jednej lokality (Bodza) zaznamenala v roku 2016 prepad po...