Coincidence of small mammal trapping data with their share in the Tawny Owl diet
Data for 1997-2005 on the Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) diet during the breeding period (food remains from nest-boxes after breeding) were compared with long-term (spring and autumn 1997-2004) data on small mammal monitoring and short-term trapping data obtained close to owl nest-boxes (autumn 1999 and 20...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | Lithuanian English |
| Published: |
2006
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://lmavb.lvb.lt/LMAVB:ELABAPDB5625155&prefLang=en_US |
| Summary: | Data for 1997-2005 on the Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) diet during the breeding period (food remains from nest-boxes after breeding) were compared with long-term (spring and autumn 1997-2004) data on small mammal monitoring and short-term trapping data obtained close to owl nest-boxes (autumn 1999 and 2000). The investigated sites were located in the Kėdainiai district (central Lithuania). A total of 18 mammal species were identified in the diet (91.3% of 2,042 identified remains). In general, mammal diversity in the diet was much higher (9 to 15 species recovered annually) than in trapping. Owls mainly preyed on bank voles (31.0% of all recovered mammals), short-tailed voles (15.8%, Microtus in total -29.5%) and yellow-necked mice (14.6%). At the monitoring site, 969 individuals of 12 species (5 to 10 species annually) were trapped. Dominant was the bank vole (47.6%), followed by the yellow-necked mouse (18.7%) and common vole (14.1 %, Microtus in total - 16.4%). A total of 193 individuals of 9 small mammal species were trapped around nest-boxes: striped field mice comprised 55.4%, bank voles -19.7%, common voles - 9.8% (Microtus in total - 15.0%). For the long-term series, the dominant species in the diet and trapping coincided on a reasonable level. |
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