Long-eared owls roosted in the forest, still hunted in open land

Abstract Long-eared owls’ winter roosts located within forest, compared to their winter roosts in human settlements, often escape human attention. Only minimum information has been published about winter roosts located deep in the forest. During the years 2005 to 2016, we collected long-eared owl pellets at irregularly occupied forest winter roosts. Compared to the diet at winter roosts in human settlements, the long-eared owls roosting in the forest surprisingly significantly more frequently hunted the common vole. Moreover, we did not record higher consumption of forest mammal species in the diet of owls at forest winter roosts. Long-eared owls roosting in human settlements hunted significantly more birds. The results show that, despite the location of deep forest winter roosts, long-eared owls preferred hunting the common vole, i.e. hunting in open agricultural land. The study also points out the lack of knowledge about winter roosts located deep in the forest.

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Weather-Dependent Variation in the Winter Diet of Urban Roosting Long-Eared Owls Asio Otus in Pécs (Hungary)

Avian Biology Research ◽

10.3184/175815617x15103217178364 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Dávid Szép ◽

Renáta Bocz ◽

Jenő J. Purger

Keyword(s):

Small Mammals ◽

Common Vole ◽

Wood Mouse ◽

Field Mouse ◽

Mammal Species ◽

Striped Field Mouse ◽

Winter Diet ◽

The Common ◽

Common Dormouse ◽

Grassland Habitats

Long-eared Owls (Asio otus) usually winter in groups in settlements, hunt at night and rest in evergreen trees during the day. From prey remnants regurgitated as pellets, one can detect species present in their hunting areas and changes in their abundance. Our aim was to reveal how the ratio of small mammal species in Long-eared Owl prey changes during the winter, since weather can influence hunting success and the availability of prey. There were 40–60 Long-eared Owls wintering in the city of Pécs. From November 2014 to mid-March 2015 we collected 6,328 pellets from which 9,087 prey remains were identified. 97.5% of prey consisted of small mammals belonging to 21 species. The diversity of small mammals in the pellets collected in November was significantly lower in comparison with other months. With the increase of precipitation, the relative abundance of the Common Vole (Microtus arvalis) and Common Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) decreased, while that of the Striped Field Mouse (Apodemus agrarius) and Wood Mouse (A. sylvaticus) increased. In the periods when the area was covered by snow, the ratio of the Common Vole as prey continually decreased, probably because it stayed under the snow. Since the availability of the Common Vole declined, the proportions of the Striped Field Mouse and Lesser White-toothed Shrew (Crocidura suaveolens) as alternative prey grew significantly. In low temperature periods, Brown Rats (Rattus norvegicus) and birds are more often preyed upon. Despite the hunting area being predominantly urban, species preferring open grassland habitats were significantly more common. As winter progressed, the role of forest-dwelling species in the diet continuously increased.

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Mow the Grass at the Mouse’s Peril: Diversity of Small Mammals in Commercial Fruit Farms

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani9060334 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 334 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Linas Balčiauskas ◽

Laima Balčiauskienė ◽

Vitalijus Stirkė

Keyword(s):

Small Mammals ◽

Small Mammal ◽

Plant Protection ◽

Common Vole ◽

The European Union ◽

Mammal Species ◽

Small Mammal Communities ◽

The Common ◽

Mammal Communities ◽

Mammal Diversity

Small mammals are not only pests but also an important part of agricultural ecosystems. The common vole is a reference species for risk assessment of plant protection products in the European Union, but no data about the suitability of the species in the Baltic countries are present so far. Using the snap-trap line method, we evaluated species composition, abundance, and diversity of small mammal communities in commercial orchards and berry plantations in Lithuania, testing the predictions that (i) compared with other habitats, small mammal diversity in fruit farms is low, and (ii) the common vole is the dominant species. The diversity of small mammals was compared with control habitats and the results of investigations in other habitats. Out of ten small mammal species registered, the most dominant were common vole and striped field mouse. Small mammal diversity and abundance increased in autumn and decreased in line with the intensity of agricultural practices but were not dependent on crop type. In the most intensively cultivated fruit farms, small mammals were not found. The diversity of small mammal communities in fruit farms was significantly higher than in crop fields and exceeded the diversities found in most types of forests except those in rapid succession.

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Responses of the long-eared owl Asio otus diet and the numbers of wintering individuals to changing abundance of the common vole Microtus arvalis

Biologia ◽

10.1515/biolog-2015-0074 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 70 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Filip Tulis ◽

Michal Baláž ◽

Ján Obuch ◽

Karol Šotnár

Keyword(s):

Common Vole ◽

Bird Species ◽

Population Fluctuations ◽

Mammal Species ◽

Winter Diet ◽

Opportunistic Predator ◽

The Common ◽

Agricultural Areas ◽

Food Niche ◽

Specific Diet

AbstractOpportunistic predator like the long-eared owl is able to respond to population fluctuations of its main prey. The composition of the winter diet of this owl species was investigated during the period of 13 winters (1992-2000, 2006-2011) in agricultural areas in Slovakia. In total, we found 23 mammal species and 33 bird species (H′ = 0.82) in pellets. The frequency of the dominant prey species, the common vole, varied from 57.7% to 92.4%. Our data show that the abundance of the common vole: (i) had biggest impact on the food niche breadth of the long-eared owl; (ii) when in decline, it was significantly compensated by the increase in the amount of 15 other accessory species (subject to the specific diet offered during the study winters); (iii) was positively correlated with the number of owls in the winter-roost, which varied during the 13 studied winters.

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Importance of winter rape for small rodents

Plant Soil and Environment ◽

10.17221/4079-pse ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 50 (No. 4) ◽

pp. 175-181 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

M. Heroldová ◽

J. Zejda ◽

M. Zapletal ◽

D. Obdržálková ◽

E. Jánová ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Small Mammal ◽

Common Vole ◽

Ground Level ◽

Early Spring ◽

Field Mouse ◽

Mammal Species ◽

Winter Rape ◽

Dominant Component ◽

Small Mammal Community ◽

The Common

Winter rape stands are important habitat for the common vole (Microtus arvalis) and the pygmy field mouse (Apodemus microps). In autumn, the common vole is dominant in this habitat (D = 75%) and reproduces in it (17% of population). This species also dominates the small mammal community of winter rape in early spring (D = 87%), and its reproduction begins in this habitat early; under suitable meteorological conditions 44% of the population of common vole reproduce in March. Analyses of the spring and autumn diet of M. arvalis in winter rape have shown that green leaves of this species form the dominant component of its diet. During the period when the rape crop is ripening, the population abundance of the common vole decreases as green food at ground level decreases. The pygmy field mouse (A. microps) has a contrasting response to winter rape, and it is almost absent from the rape crop from autumn to late spring. However, when winter rapeseeds begun to ripen, the pygmy field mouse concentration in this habitat is in large numbers (dominance D = 76%) and rapeseeds dominate its diet (v% = 72). After the harvest of winter rape, when shed seeds begin to grow, both small mammal species live for some weeks on rape plots.

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Little Owl’s (Athene noctua) vertebrate food composition during breeding season with high frog dominance in grasslands

Ornis Hungarica ◽

10.2478/orhu-2019-0003 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 44-61

Author(s):

Dániel Hámori ◽

Dániel Winkler ◽

Tamás Cserkész

Keyword(s):

Average Rate ◽

Common Vole ◽

Bird Species ◽

Single Species ◽

Food Composition ◽

Breeding Period ◽

The Common ◽

Athene Noctua ◽

Little Owl ◽

Owl Pellets

Abstract The aim of our study was to investigate the feeding of the Little Owl (Athene noctua) during the breeding period in three protected sites (Upper Kiskunság Puszta, Upper Kiskunság Lakes, Peszéradacs Meadows) in an extensively managed lowland plain area (Upper Kiskunság) of the Carpathian Basin. A further objective was to provide a detailed assessment of the vertebrate prey spectrum and dominance structure based on the analyses of pellets. Little Owl pellets were collected in September 2015 and 2016 from 20 artificial nest boxes in which successful breeding occurred in both years. Mean pellet number was calculated per individuals. Distribution of individual number and biomass of vertebrate prey taxa were also examined. The number of collected and dissected owl pellets was 2,094 in 2015 and 2,024 in 2016, respectively. The average rate of pellet regurgitation was 25.57 pellets/ind. in 2015, and 27.74 pellets/ind. in 2016. From the 40 samples (4,118 owl pellets) a total of 2,017 vertebrate preys were determined. Cumulative species richness was 21, including 12 mammalian, 1 amphibian, 4 reptile and 4 bird species. Mammals were dominant in the food (average 50.83%), and the consumption of amphibians was similar (48.06%). The consumption of birds and reptiles was not significant. Amphibians were represented by a single species, the Common Spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus) in remarkably high proportions among the prey items, followed by the Common Vole (Microtus arvalis) by approx. 37% proportion. The high proportion of the latter two species was also clearly reflected in the biomass amounts. Among the birds, the Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) proved to be the most commonly predated species apart from other species closely related to farmland habitats (Motacilla alba, M. flava, Passer montanus).

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Barn Owl (Tyto alba) Diet Composition on Intensively Used Agricultural Land in the Danube Lowland

Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis ◽

10.11118/actaun201765010225 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 65 (1) ◽

pp. 225-233

Author(s):

Tomáš Veselovský ◽

Kristián Bacsa ◽

Filip Tulis

Keyword(s):

Diet Composition ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Common Vole ◽

Bird Species ◽

Passer Domesticus ◽

Barn Owl ◽

Food Samples ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Tyto Alba ◽

The Common

Based on pellets analysis from five localities in south western Slovakia (Malá Mužla, Malé Ripňany, Obid, Opatovský Sokolec and Tešedíkovo), we studied the diet composition of Barn Owl (Tyto alba) in intensively cultivated agricultural lands. A total of 6218 specimens of prey, 17 mammalian and 7 bird species were identified. The main prey species found in all food samples was the Common Vole (Microtus arvalis), varying between 56 % and 67 %. The proportion of synanthropic species (Rattus norvegicus, Passer domesticus) and species inhabiting agricultural landscapes (Crocidura leucodon, Crocidura suaveolens, Mus sp.) increases in localities with a lower ratio of the Common Vole. The results suggest land use affects the diet of Barn Owls, confirming conclusions which have been drawn in previous studies. From faunistic point of view, discovering the Pannonian Root Vole (Microtus oeconomus mehelyi) in the diet from Malá Mužla was important.

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Estimation of population density of the common vole in Poland: an analysis of owl pellets

ACTA THERIOLOGICA ◽

10.4098/at.arch.77-32 ◽

1977 ◽

Vol 22 ◽

pp. 349-354 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Krystyna Caboń-Raczyńska ◽

Andrzej L. Ruprecht

Keyword(s):

Population Density ◽

Common Vole ◽

The Common ◽

Owl Pellets

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Agroforestry Systems of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley: Land Use for Biocultural Diversity Conservation

Land ◽

10.3390/land8020024 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 24

Author(s):

Mariana Vallejo ◽

M. Isabel Ramírez ◽

Alejandro Reyes-González ◽

Jairo López-Sánchez ◽

Alejandro Casas

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Agroforestry Systems ◽

World Heritage Site ◽

Biocultural Diversity ◽

Semiarid Region ◽

Agricultural Land Use ◽

Visual Interpretation ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Human Settlements

The Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, Mexico, is the semiarid region with the richest biodiversity of North America and was recently recognized as a UNESCO's World Heritage site. Original agricultural practices remain to this day in agroforestry systems (AFS), which are expressions of high biocultural diversity. However, local people and researchers perceive a progressive decline both in natural ecosystems and AFS. To assess changes in location and extent of agricultural land use, we carried out a visual interpretation of very-high resolution imagery and field work, through which we identified AFS and conventional agricultural systems (CAS) from 1995 to 2003 and 2012. We analyzed five communities, representative of three main ecological and agricultural zones of the region. We assessed agricultural land use changes in relation to conspicuous landscape features (relief, rivers, roads, and human settlements). We found that natural ecosystems cover more than 85% of the territory in each community, and AFS represent 51% of all agricultural land. Establishment and permanence of agricultural lands were strongly influenced by gentle slopes and the existence of roads. Contrary to what we expected, we recorded agricultural areas being abandoned, thus favoring the regeneration of natural ecosystems, as well as a 9% increase of AFS over CAS. Agriculture is concentrated near human settlements. Most of the studied territories are meant to preserve natural ecosystems, and traditional AFS practices are being recovered for biocultural conservation.

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First North African record of a melanistic common genet (Genetta genetta Linnaeus, 1758)

Mammalia ◽

10.1515/mammalia-2020-0154 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Mourad Ahmim ◽

Hafid Aroudj ◽

Farouk Aroudj ◽

Saaid Saidi ◽

Samir Aroudj

Keyword(s):

North Africa ◽

Evolutionary History ◽

North African ◽

Mammal Species ◽

Genetta Genetta ◽

History Of ◽

The Common ◽

True Occurrence

Abstract The common genet (Genetta genetta Linnaeus, 1758) is a rare and protected mammal species in Algeria. We report the first melanistic individual of this species ever recorded in North Africa. Such animals have only been recorded in Spain and Portugal so far. It is unclear why melanistic common genets seem to be so rare in its African range. More research is needed to determine the true occurrence of melanistic individuals, and what the evolutionary history of melanism is in common genets.

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