Title:

Dietary habits of the long-eared owl Asio otus in the Italian peninsula

Subtitle:

Acta Ornithologica, vol. 34, no. 1 ; Zwyczaje pokarmowe uszatki we Włoszech

Creator:

Riga, Francesco ; Capizzi, Dario (1967– )

Contributor:

Polska Akademia Nauk. Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii

Publisher:

Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii PAN

Place of publishing:

Warszawa

Date issued/created:

1999

Description:

Bibliogr. p. 50 ; P. [45]-51 : ill. ; 27 cm ; Abstract in Polish. Taxa in Latin

Type of object:

Journal/Article

Subject and Keywords:

Long-eared Owl ; behaviour ; nutrition ; Italy ; small mammals ; trophic ecology ; birds ; typical owls ; true owls ; Asio otus ; Strigidae ; Aves

Abstract:

Feeding habits of the Long-eared Owl in the Italian peninsula were investigated by using mainly data from bibliographic sources. A total of 4651 prey items from 13 study localities were used in the analysis. Field voles Microtus sp., which globally accounted for over 51.4% of the cumulative total, were the most important prey, followed by the mice Apodemus sp. (31.5%). Insectivores (6.0%) and birds (4.7%) were preyed less frequently. In order to represent the diet of Long-eared Owls some dietary parameters were computed, such as percentages of occurrence of the most important prey taxa (insectivores, murids, arvicolids, and birds), mean prey size, taxonomic diversity and prey size diversity. The linear relationships between the variables were assessed by using either Spearman-rank and Pearson correlation coefficients. Taxonomic dietary diversity was positively correlated with site latitude. Geographic linear distances (in km) of the various study sites and relative niche overlap values were negatively correlated. The dietary diversity was positively correlated with the proportion of murids and negatively with arvicolids. It suggests that the Long-eared Owl is quite specialised in feeding upon arvicolids when the availability of this prey is high. Furthermore, one-way ANOVA revealed that significant differences in mean prey size between the different localities were present. Performing a Principal Component Analysis on the dietary parameters we observed a separation of the study sites in two different groups along the first factor, and the proportions of arvicolids and murids were the most important parameters in order to explain the observed variability.

Relation:

Acta Ornithologica

Volume:

34

Issue:

1

Start page:

45

End page:

51

Resource type:

Text

Detailed Resource Type:

Article

Format:

application/pdf

Source:

MiIZ PAN, call no. P.257, Vol. 34, No 1 ; MiIZ PAN, call no. P.4568, Vol. 34, No 1 ; click here to follow the link

Language:

eng ; pol

Rights:

Rights Reserved - Restricted Access

Terms of use:

Copyright-protected material. Access only on terminals at the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, may be used within the limits of statutory user freedoms.

Digitizing institution:

Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Original in:

Library of the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Projects co-financed by:

Programme Innovative Economy, 2010-2014, Priority Axis 2. R&D infrastructure ; European Union. European Regional Development Fund

Access:

Closed