The diet of the greater spotted eagle (Aquila clanga) in Belarusian PolesieDuring 1999-2009 the food remains from the nests of 43 breeding pairs of the greater spotted eagle in Belarusian Polesie (southern Belarus) were collected. 797 prey items were determined, including mammals (40%, 15 species andSylvaemussp., 4 orders), birds (36%, 35 species andPhylloscopussp., Corvidae sp., 11 orders), evertebrates (16%, Coleoptera, Odonatoptera, Gastropoda), reptiles (6%, 4 species andLacertasp.), amphibians (1%,Ranasp.) and fish (1%, 3 species). Small rodents from the genusMicrotus(M. arvalisandM. oeconomus) as well asArvicola amphibiuswere the most numerous mammal species, followed byErinaceus roumanicusandTalpa europaea.Rallidae (mostlyRallus aquaticus, Porzana porzanaandCrex crex), waders (mainlyGalinago gallinago), dabbling ducks (mainlyAnas platyrhynchosandAnas querquedula), Galliformes (Lyrurustetrix), Ciconiiformes (Ardea cinereaandBotaurus stellaris) were the most numerous bird prey species.Emberiza schoenicluswas predominated prey species among Passerines. Reptiles were frequently represented by snakes (mainlyNatrix natrix, but alsoVipera berusandCoronella austriaca). Biomass predominance in diet of the greater spotted eagles is as follows: birds (67.9%), mammals (25.3%), reptiles (3.4%), fish (3.0%) and amphibians (0.3%). Prey species with a body mass of 51-200 g (41.9%) and 11-50 g (38.3%) were predominant in the food spectrum of the greater spotted eagles. In the weight category of 1-50g, mammals were dominant, but from the categories of 51-200 g and heavier, birds occupied the leading position. The prey which made the largest contribution in total biomass of the greater spotted eagle were in the prey weight category from 601 to 1200 g (34%), then from 51 to 200 g (24%), from 11 to 50 g (16.6%) and more than 1200 g (16%). The species of the genusMicrotuswere equally represented in prey set of the greater spotted eagle in habitats with different degrees of anthropogenic transformation (24% in each habitat type). The share ofArvicola amphibiusin the diet of the greater spotted eagle decreased from 12% in natural habitats to 4% in transformed habitats; the share of birds decreased from 41% to 26% correspondingly. The share of Insectivora and Evertebrata, on the contrary, increased to 3% and 11% in natural habitats and to 6% and 27% in transformed habitats correspondingly.
No evidence for increased offspring heterozygosity from extrapair mating in the reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)
