The effect of urbanization on the diet composition of the Tawny owl (Strix aluco L.)

• Autorzy: Grzędzicka E. , Kus K. , Nabielec J.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

In recent years, developing urban areas have affected food abundance and the feeding grounds of birds. The article contains analysis of the Tawny owl’s diet during four years (2006–2009) from different types of the urbanized area: city, town (much smaller than city) and countryside – based on 356 pellets with 726 prey items. The main group of victims was Rodentia, common were also Apodemus agrarius and Apodemus sylvaticus. Other important groups in the diet were: Microtidae (especially species Microtus arvalis) and Aves. As a generalist, Tawny owl fits the diet to the actual resources in a very flexible way. The main goal of the present work was to describe the food composition variability of the Tawny owl along with the degree of urbanization. Percentages of Microtus arvalis, Micromys minutus, Talpa europaea depended on the urbanization level, while Apodemus flavicollis, Insecta and Amphibia were related to the distance to nearest city centre. The study has shown that the diet of the Tawny owl has been changing along the urbanization gradient. It confirms earlier findings on high plasticity of foraging of this species in urbanized landscape.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

diet composition; prey items; urbanization; countryside; town; distance to the city centre; season

PL

dieta; zdobycz; urbanizacja; krajobraz; miasto; odległość; centrum miasta

• Wydawca: Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Czasopismo: Polish Journal of Ecology
• Rocznik: 2013
• Tom: Vol. 61, nr 2
• Strony: 391--400
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 25 poz., il.

Twórcy

autor

Grzędzicka E.

• Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Mickiewicza 33, 31–120 Kraków, Poland

autor

Kus K.

• Kuźnicy Kołłątajowskiej St. 17/10, 31–234 Kraków

autor

Nabielec J.

• Os. Spółdzielcze 12/43, 31–944 Kraków

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