Are owl pellets good estimators of prey abundance?

Andrade, Andrea; Menezes, Jorge F. S.; Monjeau, Adrián

doi:10.1016/j.jksus.2015.10.007

Cited by 38 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…There are various ways to study the impact of released barn owls. Pellet analysis is a well-known and frequently used method to analyse owl prey content and preference (e.g., Bonvicino & Bezerra, 2003; Andrade et al, 2016). Meyer (2008) who studied the impact of released barn owls in a semi-urban area in Johannesburg evaluated the rodent population size using live-trapping before and after barn owl releases.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet composition of introduced Barn Owls (Tyto alba javanica) in urban area in comparison with agriculture settings

Saufi

Ravindran

Hamid³

et al. 2019

Preprint

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2This study investigated the diet of introduced barn owls (Tyto alba javanica, Gmelin) in the 3 urban area of the Main Campus of Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia, based on 4 collected regurgitated pellets. We also compared the diet of introduced urban barn owls with 5 the diet of barn owls from two agricultural areas, i.e. oil palm plantations and rice fields. Pellet 6 analysis of barn owls introduced in the urban area showed that commensal Norway rats, Rattus 7 norvegicus, made up the highest proportion of the diet (65.37% prey biomass) while common 8 shrews, Suncus murinus were the second highest consumed prey (30.12% prey biomass). 9Common plantain squirrel, Callosciurus notatus, made up 4.45% of the diet while insects were 10 taken in a relatively small amount (0.046% prey biomass). Introduced barn owls showed a 11 preference for medium-sized prey, i.e. 40 to 120g (52.96% biomass and 38.71% total). In 12 agricultural areas, Rattus argentiventer predominated the diet of barn owls (98.24% prey 13 biomass) in rice fields while Malayan wood rats, Rattus tiomanicus, were the most consumed 14 prey in oil palm plantations (99.5% prey biomass). Food niche breadth value was highest for 15 barn owls introduced in an urban area with a value of 2.90, and 1.06 in rice fields and 1.22 in 16 oil palm plantations. Our analysis reiterates the prey preference of barn owls in various 17 landscapes for small mammals. Our results also indicate the suitability of utilizing barn owls 18 as a biological control not only in agricultural areas, but also as a biological control agent for 19 commensal rodent pests in urban areas. 20

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet composition of introduced Barn Owls (Tyto alba javanica) in urban area in comparison with agriculture settings

Saufi

Ravindran

Hamid³

et al. 2019

Preprint

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“…Entre las causas que pueden asociarse a un marcado consumo de presas por parte de la lechuza de campanario -como Dieta de la lechuza de campanario en el Estado de México el grupo faunístico, la edad, las abundancias relativas y la composición de sexos de las presas (Jaksic y Simonetti 1987, Bozinovic y Canals 2007, Andrade et al 2016)-, la biomasa de las presas representa un factor que influye potencialmente en la búsqueda, asecho, captura y consumo de ciertas especies (Velarde et al 2007). En esta investigación es probable que la abundancia relativa y biomasa disponible de R. rattus expliquen el porqué en la dieta de este depredador se concentran sus actividades de forrajeo en este roedor, situándolo como un objetivo de caza más rentable (en términos de compensación energética) respecto de otras especies depredadas como lo sugiere Schluter (1981).…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

“…Los motivos para su preferencia suelen provenir de que es i) un método no invasivo y fácil de realizar para la determinación de la dieta, que aporta información valiosa sobre el consumo de presas y la preferencia de especies; ii) permite la determinación de la distribución de especies presas (Don et al 2006), la composición y abundancia relativa de las comunidades de mamíferos pequeños (Taylor 1994, Bonbicino y Bezerra 2003, Charter et al 2007, SantosMoreno y Alfaro 2009, Andrade et al 2016), y iii) facilita la detección de especies exóticas en una región debido a la conducta de caza de algunas aves rapaces que se ajusta al modelo oportunista (De Santis y Pagnoni 1989, Noriega et al 1990, Bó et al 2007.…”

Section: Colecta De Egagrópilas En El Campounclassified

“…El análisis del contenido de egagrópilas de aves rapaces -con sideradas como acumulaciones de porciones no digeridas de presas que son regurgitadas en unidades compactas (Taberlet y Fumagalli 1996, Don et al 2006)-se considera una herramienta útil para describir la dieta en términos de la estructura de las comunidades de mamíferos pequeños, la disponibilidad de presas de acuerdo con la temporada del año, así como en las estimaciones de las abundancias relativas de las poblaciones de presas en un área y tiempo determinado (Taylor 1994, Bonbicino y Bezerra 2003, Charter et al 2007, Santos-Moreno y Alfaro 2009, Andrade et al 2016).…”

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Dieta de la lechuza de campanario (Tyto alba) en Ocoyoacac, Estado de México

González-Calderón¹

2017

Huitzil Rev. Mex. Ornitol.

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Dieta de la lechuza de campanario (Tyto alba) en Ocoyoacac, Estado de México Diet of the Barn Owl (Tyto alba) in Ocoyoacac, Estado de MexicoAlvaro González-Calderón* ResumenEstudié los hábitos alimenticios de la lechuza de campanario (Tyto alba Strigiformes) en el municipio de Ocoyoacac (Estado de Méxi-co) en 2012. Describí la dieta de esta rapaz a partir del análisis de los restos no digeridos de 732 egagrópilas colectadas. Empleé los índices de riqueza, dominancia y diversidad de Margalef, Simpson, Shannon-Wiener y Pielou, obtuve la diversidad de presas consumidas. Mediante el índice de nicho trófico de Levins estandarizado evalué la amplitud trófica de esta rapaz y estimé la corre lación entre las dimensiones de las egagrópilas con el número de presas consumidas. Los mamíferos pequeños representaron la categoría con mayor frecuencia de depredación, seguida de artrópodos y aves. La dominancia de mamíferos pequeños resultó relativamente baja (λ = 0.20). La especie con mayor frecuencia de consumo fue Rattus rattus, seguida de cuatro especies de roedores con una frecuencia de consumo abundante (Microtus mexicanus, Reithrodontomys microdon, R. megalotis y Peromyscus maniculatus). El valor del índice Shannon-Wiener (H' = 1.85), y del índice de nicho trófico de Levins estandarizado (Bst = 0.42) mostraron una uniformidad relativamente baja y tendencia selectiva en el consumo de mamíferos pequeños. En la dieta de esta rapaz fue relevante el consumo de artrópodos en los que se incluyeron arácnidos. Así mismo observé selectividad en el consumo de aves. Las correlaciones significativas entre las dimensiones de las egagrópilas con el número de presas consumidas fueron discutidas. Los resultados sugieren que la lechuza de campanario tiene un papel importante en el control biológico de roedores exóticos y nativos de la región.Palabras clave: Depredador-presa, control biológico, nicho trófico, Tyto alba, área urbana. AbstractI studied the feeding habits of the Barn Owl (Tyto alba Strigiformes) in Ocoyoacac, State of Mexico (Mexico) in 2012. On such occasion, its diet was analyzed based on the description of the mass of undigested parts of preys in 732 pellets collected. For such description I resorted to Margalef, Simpson, Shannon-Wiener and Pielou diversity index showing the diversity of preys on which the Barn Owls fed. Based on Levin's standardized trophic niche index the food niche breadth was estimated as well as the correlation between pellet dimensions and the number of eaten preys. Small mammals were the most frequent source of food, followed by arthropods and birds. The dominance of small mammals was relatively low (λ = 0.20). Rattus rattus was the species most frequently consumed, followed by four other rodent species associated with an abundant frequency of consumption (Microtus mexicanus, Reithrodontomys microdon, R. megalotis and Peromyscus maniculatus). Shannon-Wiener index value (H' = 1.85) and Levin's standardized trophic breadth index (Bst = 0.42) showed a relatively low uniformity and a selective tendency i...

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“…The results of analyzing the food of owls largely reflect the assemblages of small vertebrates occurring in the studied area in terms of quantity and quality, and thus, such analyses are used to research the distribution of fauna, including mainly mammals (Gryz, Krauze 2007;Lesiński et al 2008;Żmihorski et 2011;Andrade et al 2015;Heisler et al 2015). For example, the faunal data from analyzing the food of owls were the basis for developing maps of the occurrence of small mammals throughout Poland in the 1970s (Pucek, Raczyński 1983).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mammals in the diet of tawny owlStrix alucoin western part of Skierniewice Forest District (central Poland)

Gryz

Krauze‐Gryz

2017

Forest Research Papers

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The aim of the study was to describe the species diversity of small mammals in the western part of the Skierniewice Forest District (Central Poland) using tawny owl (Strix aluco) pellets. The landscape itself is a field and forest mosaic with small forest complexes. Four forest complexes with an area between 70 and 750 ha and surrounded by arable lands as well as loosely scattered buildings were chosen to carry out our work in. Owl pellets were collected in the years 2014–2016 and examined for small mammal remains employing standard protocols. Altogether, we identified 963 items belonging to 17 different mammalian prey species. The most numerous was the yellow-necked mouse, Apodemus flavicollis, which accounted for 33.5% of all identified items. As the second most important group, voles (Microtus spp.) accounted for 12.8% of all identified mammals. Unfortunately, we were unable to find species considered rare in central Poland, i.e. hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius, European water vole, Arvicola amphibius and field vole, Microtus agrestis. In overall, the species composition of small mammal assemblages in the studied area was similar to adjacent regions.

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Are owl pellets good estimators of prey abundance?

Cited by 38 publications

References 24 publications

Diet composition of introduced Barn Owls (Tyto alba javanica) in urban area in comparison with agriculture settings

Diet composition of introduced Barn Owls (Tyto alba javanica) in urban area in comparison with agriculture settings

Dieta de la lechuza de campanario (Tyto alba) en Ocoyoacac, Estado de México

Mammals in the diet of tawny owlStrix alucoin western part of Skierniewice Forest District (central Poland)

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