Dominance of Invasive Small Mammals in the diet of the Barn Owl Tyto Alba in County Cork, Ireland

2018 ◽  
Vol 118B (1) ◽  
pp. 49-53
Author(s):  
Patrick Smiddy
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Barn Owl ◽  
Tyto Alba

An attempt to determine the size of the Common Barn-owl’s (Tyto alba) hunting area based on its prey composition

2021 ◽  
pp. 175815592110660
Author(s):  
Jenő J Purger ◽  
Dávid Szép
Keyword(s):  
Functional Groups ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Barn Owl ◽  
Tyto Alba ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Open Forest ◽  
Prey Composition ◽  
Small Mammal Species ◽  
Owl Pellets

The relative abundance of small mammal species detected from Common Barn-owl pellets reflects the landscape structure and habitat pattern of the owl’s hunting area, but it is also affected by the size of the collected pellet sample and the size of the supposed hunting area. The questions arise: how many pellets should be collected and analyzed as well as how large hunting area should be taken into consideration in order to reach the best correspondence between the owl’s prey composition and the distribution of habitats preferred by small mammals preyed in supposed hunting areas? For this study, we collected 1045 Common Barn-owl pellets in a village in southern Hungary. All detected small mammal species were classified into functional groups (guilds) preferring urban, open, forest and wetland habitats. The proportion of functional groups was compared to the proportion of these habitats around the pellet collection site within circles of one, two, and three km radius. Saturation curves showed that at least 300 pellets or ca. 600 mammalian remains are required for the detection of the 19 small mammal species. The share of small mammals detected in the prey and their functional groups according to their habitat preference showed an increasing consistency with the distribution of real habitats in the potential hunting area of a radius of 3 km around the owl’s breeding or resting place.

The use of Barn Owl Tyto alba pellets to assess population change in small mammals

Bird Study ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
William R. Meek ◽  
Peter J. Burman ◽  
Tim H. Sparks ◽  
Marek Nowakowski ◽  
Niall J. Burman
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Population Change ◽  
Barn Owl ◽  
Tyto Alba

Trends in North American small mammals found in common barn-owl (Tyto alba) dietary studies

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (12) ◽  
pp. 3093-3102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald R. Clark Jr. ◽  
Christine M. Bunck
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
North American ◽  
Barn Owl ◽  
Annual Precipitation ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Tyto Alba ◽  
Geographic Regions ◽  
Rats And Mice

Data on mammals were compiled from published studies of common barn-owl (Tyto alba) pellets. Mammalian composition of pellet samples was analyzed within geographic regions in regard to year, mean annual precipitation, latitude, and number of individual mammals in the sample. Percentages of individuals in pellets that were shrews increased whereas the percentages of rodents decreased with greater mean annual precipitation, especially in northern and western areas of North America. From the 1920s through 1980s, in northern and eastern areas the percentage of species that was shrews decreased, and in northern and central areas the percentage of individuals that was murid rats and mice increased. Human alterations of habitats during these seven decades are postulated to have caused changes in available small mammals, leading to changes in the barn-owl diet.

Using the diet of the barn owl (Tyto alba) as an indicator of small vertebrate abundance in the Channel Country, south-western Queensland

2009 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew C. McDowell ◽  
Graham C. Medlin
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Large Mass ◽  
Barn Owl ◽  
Tyto Alba ◽  
Frog Species ◽  
Small Vertebrate

The diet of the barn owl (Tyto alba) was determined by analysing pellets and bulk pellet debris found in the ruins of Baryulah Homestead, south-western Queensland. Nine species of mammal, at least eight bird, five reptile and three frog species were identified. The majority of prey consisted of small mammals and was dominated by Mus musculus, which accounted for almost 40 Prey Unit percent (PU%) of all prey. Rattus villosissimus was an important secondary prey species, which, due to its comparatively large mass, contributed 21.79 PU%. Other native mammals were present in low frequency only. Reptiles (primarily geckos) were more abundant than expected, collectively contributing >15 PU%, suggesting that they were an important component of the barn owl’s diet.

The Diet of the Barn Owl, Tyto Alba, in South-Western Queensland.

1977 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 91 ◽  
Author(s):  
SR Morton ◽  
M Happold ◽  
AK Lee ◽  
RE Mcmillen
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Barn Owl ◽  
Tyto Alba ◽  
Food Items ◽  
South West ◽  
Almost All

Regurgitated pellets of barn owl (Tyto alba) were collected at 2 places in south west Queensland, arid remote places where introduced rodents were rare. Food items were almost all small mammals, the most abundant being young plague rats (Rattus villosissimus) and hopping mice (Notomys cervinus, N. alexis and possibly N. fuscus).

Diet of the Barn Owl, Tyto-Alba, in the Tanami Desert, Northern Territory

1989 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 611 ◽  
Author(s):  
JDB Smith ◽  
J Cole
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Barn Owl ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Tyto Alba ◽  
Prey Biomass ◽  
Large Fluctuations ◽  
Prey Items ◽  
Owl Pellets

The diet of the barn owl was determined by analysing egested pellets collected from the Tanami Desert. These data were also used to examine the distribution of small mammals in the region. Rodents were the dominant prey items, forming more than 74% of prey biomass in all samples. The dominant rodent species were those that undergo large fluctuations in population size. Notomys alexis was the dominant prey item in 15 of the 17 samples. In all samples, one or two species of rodents formed 47-100% of prey biomass. Dasyurids were relatively minor prey items, forming less than 12% of prey biomass in all samples. It is suggested that this is a reflection of their abundance relative to rodents. Bats, birds, lizards and insects combined formed less than 14% of prey biomass in all but one sample (24%). Behavioural and life-history characteristics of prey appear to affect their susceptibility to predation. The analysis of pellets proved to be a useful supplementary technique to conventional methods of surveying small mammals. All species of small mammal that could be expected were identified in owl pellets. Notomys amplus was recorded in pellets but not collected by conventional techniques.

scholarly journals The fauna of small mammals in the vicinity of Temerin, The Vojvodina providence

2006 ◽  
pp. 55-60
Author(s):  
Ester Popovic ◽  
Olivera Bjelic-Cabrilo ◽  
Kristina Tepavac
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Barn Owl ◽  
Apodemus Sylvaticus ◽  
Tyto Alba ◽  
Pellet Analysis

The samples collected by traps in the vicinity of Temerin and the analysis of pellets of the long-eared owl (Asia otus) and the barn owl (Tyto alba) served as a basis for the determination of 409 individuals of small mammals of the orders Insectivora and Rodentia. A total of 13 species from the families Soricidae (6), Muridae (4) and Arvi-colidae (3) was recorded. The representatives of the species Apodemus sylvaticus prevailed in the sample obtained by traps while the pellet analysis showed the domination of Micro-tus arvalis in the owl diet. The presence of five of the total of thirteen species found by the pellet analysis was confirmed by means of traps.

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