Seasonal changes in Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) diet in an oak forest in Eastern Ukraine

Yatsiuk, Yehor; Filatova, Yuliya

doi:10.3906/zoo-1509-43

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…A positive relationship between the proportion of the main prey in the owl diet and its abundance in the field has been documented several times (Korpimäki & Sulkava 1987, Korpimäki 1988, Zárybnická et al 2011, Luka & Riegert 2018. A high proportion of voles in the breeding diet in northern parts of Europe and the increasing importance of mice toward the south has been observed in all three species (Jäderholm 1987, Korpimäki 1988, Zawadzka & Zawadzki 2007, Zárybnická et al 2015, Yatsiuk & Filatova 2017, Luka & Riegert 2018, Tumiel & Mirski 2018. The Boreal Owl is a small mammal specialist; its diet consists of more than 90% mammalian prey in most parts of its range (Korpimäki & Hakkarainen 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…It preys upon small mammal species available in the highest abundances but may shift its main prey to other nonmammalian species if they are locally abundant (see the review in Obuch 2011). When small mammal populations decrease, the Tawny Owl can efficiently compensate for mammalian prey shortage with birds (Yatsiuk & Filatova 2017, Luka & Riegert 2018.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Differential responses of coexisting owls to annual small mammal population fluctuations in temperate mixed forest

Ratajc

Breskvar

Džeroski

et al. 2021

Ibis

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Montane temperate forests in central and southern Europe host diverse small mammal assemblages, but the fluctuations in these assemblages in correlation with owl predators are still poorly explored. The key questions of our study were how coexisting owls responded to different prey fluctuations and whether any particular small mammal species governed predator-prey co-dynamics. We conducted a long-term study (2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015)(2016)(2017)(2018)(2019)(2020) in low-elevation (300-1100 m above sea level) mixed Beech and Silver Fir forest in the northern Dinaric Alps (central Slovenia). Monitoring data on the main small mammal groupsmice Muridae, voles Cricetidae, dormice Gliridae and shrews Soricidaeand three owl speciesthe Ural Owl Strix uralensis, Tawny Owl Strix aluco and Boreal Owl Aegolius funereuswere collected annually. To find relationships between prey and predator populations, we used two types of supervised machine learning approaches and addressed three predictive modelling tasks of multi-target regression. The dominant species in the small mammal assemblage, the Yellow-necked Mouse Apodemus flavicollis, had a key role in determining predator populations and their breeding performance. We noted higher sensitivity to small mammal fluctuations in boreal zone owl species (Boreal Owl and Ural Owl), which reach their southern distribution limit in the Dinaric Alps, whereas the temperate zone species (Tawny Owl) seemed to be less affected. In years of prey shortage, the Boreal Owl was found to presumably abandon its territories, the Ural Owl suppressed breeding and the Tawny Owl sustained breeding activity by shifting prey selection. Low-elevation forests appeared to be suboptimal habitat for the competitive subordinate Boreal Owl, which may exploit occasional outbreaks of small mammal populations in these habitats even in the presence of larger competitors. Whether low-elevation forests can play a role in maintaining threatened and cold-adapted Boreal Owl populations in central and southern Europe in the face of recent ecosystem changes due to climate and environmental changes remains an open scientific question.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential responses of coexisting owls to annual small mammal population fluctuations in temperate mixed forest

Ratajc

Breskvar

Džeroski

et al. 2021

Ibis

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“…Najpogosteje se prehranjuje z gozdnimi vrstami malih sesalcev, predvsem z voluharicami in mišmi (Cramp 1985, Mikkola 1983. Prehrana lesne sove se lahko spreminja med letnimi časi in habitati pa tudi med leti, odvisno od nihanja razpoložl-jivih virov (Mikkola 1983, Kuhar et al 2006, Zawadzka & Zawadzki 2007, Grzędzicka et al 2013, Yatsiuk & Filatova 2016.…”

Section: Uvodunclassified

“…Predvsem v zahodni pa tudi vzhodni in srednji Evropi je prehrana lesne sove dobro raziskana, velikost vzorcev pa obsega tudi več tisoč enot plena (npr. Yatsiuk & Filatova 2016, Mikkola 1983.…”

Section: Diskusijaunclassified

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Diet of the Tawny Owl Strix aluco in the area of Slovenske gorice (NE Slovenia)

et al. 2017

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The diet of Tawny Owl Strix aluco was studied in the area of Slovenske gorice - NE Slovenia. The analysis was carried out by examining pellets collected at ten locations in the period from 1984 to 2015. From the pellets, 2,121 prey units were isolated. The predominant prey were mammals (Mammalia, 84.8%), followed by birds (Aves, 8.3%), insects (Insecta, 4.7%), frogs (Anura, 1.6%) and earthworms (Oligochaeta, 0.5%). Four orders of mammals were found: rodents (Rodentia), insectivores (Insectivora), bats (Chiroptera) and carnivores (Carnivora). The most frequent prey in the owls’ diet were voles (Arvicolinae, 46.6%) and mice (Murinae, 28.8%), while the number of shrews (Soricidae) was low (4.5%). The obtained results are in concordance with the conclusions of other studies. In the area of Slovenske gorice, the Tawny Owl is an opportunistic predator of small mammals with an emphasis on voles and mice. Prey frequencies differ significantly among some localities. Variability in proportions of prey species among localities can also be the result of sampling carried out in different seasons and variability in the population dynamics of small mammals among years. Challenges for future research are to describe seasonal variability of the diet and to evaluate interspecific competition within the guild of night predators of small mammals: Tawny Owl, Long-eared Owl Asio otus, and Barn Owl Tyto alba, which are sympatric in this area.

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History of the study of the winter bird fauna of the cities of Ukraine

Zhulenko,

Shydlovskyy

2023

VLUBS

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Knowledge of wintering avifauna and the study of wintering aspects of birds make it possible to obtain information about the diversity and status of the populations of birds during one of the most unfavorable periods of their life. Significant changes in climatic conditions in winter period during the last decades in Europe are noticeable. They affect winter distribution and dynamics of a number of bird species. In particular, new species appear, what may be caused by changes in wintering places or migration routes, or birds that were previously migratory remain for the wintering. Therefore, systematic research of winter avifauna in the territory of urban agglomerations of different levels is a relevant and important task for today. In our opinion, the study of winter avifauna of urban agglomerations can be classified into several groups: year-round, global, partial and selective. The vast majority of winter avifauna studies were partial, conducted by scientists specializing in the study of individual species or groups of birds. Most often, ornithologists focused their attention on predators and birds of the wetland complex. Nowadays, according to the results of research conducted by ornithologists of Ukraine, we can distinguish three distinctive stages, which are not entirely clear, but reflect the development of research on winter avifauna and are indicative in the selection of research objects and territories. The first stage is the study of wintering birds of Ukraine of large water bodies or territories, such as areas with non-freezing ponds; the second – records and study of individual species or groups of birds, in particular wintering of shrikes, representatives of the Corvidae family, and the third – direct research of avifauna in urbocoenoses. The latter stage of research is the most recent. Now, ornithologists drew their attention to avifauna changes in urban agglomerations due to the increasing urbanization rates, which may cause a decrease in the species diversity and number of birds in cities in the nearest future, as a result of their displacement and the impossibility of staying in an anthropogenic environment.

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Seasonal changes in Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) diet in an oak forest in Eastern Ukraine

Cited by 5 publications

References 12 publications

Differential responses of coexisting owls to annual small mammal population fluctuations in temperate mixed forest

Differential responses of coexisting owls to annual small mammal population fluctuations in temperate mixed forest

Diet of the Tawny Owl Strix aluco in the area of Slovenske gorice (NE Slovenia)

History of the study of the winter bird fauna of the cities of Ukraine

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