Avian predator pellet analysis in biodiversity and distribution investigations

• Main Authors: Balčiauskienė, Laima, Skuja, Saulis, Zub, Karol
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2005
• Subjects: Birds of prey; Tawny owl; Pellets; Small mammals; Birch mouse; Biržų Giria forest; Accipiter gentilis; Ural Owl
• Online Access: http://lmavb.lvb.lt/LMAVB:ELABAPDB5598869&prefLang=en_US

This paper shows that even a comparatively small pellet sample can contribute to the knowledge of biological diversity and distribution of certain animal species. Food remains from nests and pellets of the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina), Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo), Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) and Ural Owl (S. uralensis) collected in summers 2003-2004 in the Biržų Giria forest (covering three 10x10 UTM squares - LC4a2, a3, and b3) were analysed. Four new small mammal species and one new amphibian species for the territory were found. Among them, there was a new record of the birch mouse (Sicista betulina), a Red-Listed species in Lithuania and a new record ofthe common dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius). In 2003 two new records - one of S. betulina, and one ofthe water vole (Arvicola terrestris) were registered m the Žemaitija National Park, Liepijų forest. Thus, two new sites of S. betulina are added, demonstrating high sensibility of the method for faunistic research.