Common Dormouse as a Prey Item of Breeding Tawny Owls in Five Districts of Lithuania
2008; Institute of Ecology of Vilnius University; Volume: 18; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2478/v10043-008-0004-1
ISSN1648-6919
AutoresLaima Balčiauskienė, Linas Balčiauskas,
Tópico(s)Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
ResumoThe diet of the Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) from five administrative districts in Lithuania was studied in the breeding seasons of 1999–2005. A total of 67 samples with 3,211 prey items were analysed. The common dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) comprised 2.0% by numbers and 1.4% by biomass consumed. The difference between districts was 2.3-fold and 2.6-fold, accordingly. It is obvious that this species is not a primary prey, but 15 species of mammals and 30 bird species were represented by numbers not exceeding that of M. avellanarius. Thus, we do not consider M. avellanarius among the rarest prey items. Moreover, in Lithuania, especially in the central part (Kėdainiai district), the share of M. avellanarius in the diet of S. aluco is one of the highest in Europe.
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