The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) diet in the Orava Region (N Slovakia)

Abstract

The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) diet in the Orava Region (N Slovakia) Food remains of the Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) were studied in samples collected from 26 nests. The samples were collected during spring thus represent the prey brought to the nest whilst rearing of chicks. In total 15,196 items of prey were determined. The dominant food items were two smaller species of rodents, Microtus arvalis (39.0%), Arvicola amphibius (12.1%), and the common frog (Rana temporaria; 27.9%). Other prey recorded had low dominance, however, represented a wide range of species. 43 species of mammals and over 80 species of birds were determined. The Orava Region is climatically one of the coldest regions in Slovakia. The abundance of food for nestlings depends mostly on gradational cycles of small species of rodents and on frogs as the alternative food components. The proportion of bigger species of prey is low: from mammals it was mainly Rattus norvegicus (2.3%), Erinaceus roumanicus (0.7%) and Lepus europaeus (0.5%), from birds Corvus cornix (1.1%), Perdix perdix (0.6%) and Asio otus (0.4%). The food supply creating suitable condition for reproduction of Eurasian eagle-owls in the Orava Region has been deteriorating over the last 20 years due to a decrease in agricultural production leading to diminution of non-forest areas.