Using two methods in prey identificaton from pellets of the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina)

• Main Authors: Balčiauskienė, Laima, Baltrūnaitė, Laima, Treinys, Rimgaudas
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2007
• Subjects: Lesser Spotted Eagle; Diet composition; Osteological and hair analysis; Common vole; Microtus arvalis
• Online Access: http://lmavb.lvb.lt/LMAVB:ELABAPDB5759251&prefLang=en_US

30 samples of pellets of the Lesser Spotted Eagle collected in June-August 2004-2005 in 10 administrative districts of Lithuania were treated by osteological and hair analysis methods. Both methods complemented each other. The preying on the water vole (Arvicola terrestris) and using of the carrion of Cervidae was confirmed only by hair analysis. The common vole (Microtus arvalis), short-tailed vole (M. agrestis), root vole (M. oeconomus) and yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) were identified by osteological analysis only. The highest frequency of occurrence was characteristic of T. europaea (0.60), birds (0.53) and insects (0.30). Among Microtus voles, the highest FO was characteristic of M. arvalis (0.27) and M. agrestis (0.17). The employment of hair analysis added ca. 15% to the estimation of the biomass consumed. According to the numbers, the diet was dominated by Microtus voles (44.4%) and T. europaea (18.2%); according to the biomass consumed, the main diet items were T. europaea (40.2%) and birds (21.1%).