The prey composition of the Barn Owl (Tyto alba) can be monitored indirectly by pellet analysis and we used this method to investigate less known small mammal species of Zala County. The number and abundance of small mammal species depend on the structure of the landscape of Barn Owls’ hunting area, therefore we analysed landscape features in the surrounding circles with 2 km radius around the sampling sites. In 2016 we collected 1106 pellets from 13 sampling localities. From the pellets we identified 21 species of 3022 individuals of small mammals (more than 98% of prey). Among the 21 species there was the rare Parti-colured Bat (Vespertilio murinus) and a new species for the county the Steppe Mouse (Mus spicilegus). Positive correlation was found between the diversity of the small mammal fauna of each sampling site and the landscape complexity (number of the landscape patches) of the Barn Owl hunting area. Relative abundance of the Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) showed positive correlation with the number of landscape patches, while the abundance of the Lesser White-toothed Shrew (Crocidura suaveolens), the Miller’s Water Shrew (Neomys anomalus), the Striped Field Mouse (Apodemus agrarius) and the Harvest Mouse (Micromys minutus) was higher in hunting areas with more homogenous landscapes. Significant correlations were found between the relative abundance of some small mammal species and the landscape structure of the potential hunting area of owls that confirmed the consistency in habitat preference of some species. Our results proved that the prey-composition of Barn Owls reflects the land use through the distribution and abundance of small mammal species, therefore this method is suitable for ecological analyses of landscape.

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.

The feeding of the stone marten (Martes foina) and the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) being flexible, easily adapt to anthropogenic food sources, utilising them effectively. Both carnivores feed on plants, thus the question arises how their food composition changes during the seasons when there is high availability of fruits in their habitat. The diet composition of the two species was investigated for one year in a 14-hectare vineyard surrounded by orchards, based on scat analysis (n = 288 and 110, respectively). The proportion of plant matter in the feeding of both species was strikingly high, although differing seasonally, especially fruits, mostly sour cherries, cherries, grapes and figs being present. Martens consumed plants in greater amounts (89% vs 76%) than foxes. Both carnivores consumed more invertebrates in spring, and more small mammals in winter, whereas frugivory was more substantial in the summer and autumn periods. Trophic niche was quite narrow in both species, with considerable degree of overlap. The revealed feeding patterns are quite novel, that of the stone marten being unique even at a European level; the prolonged high degree of frugivory indicates the perfect adaptability of the two native carnivore species.

Human disturbances and predation on artificial ground nests across an urban gradient.-In our study with artificial nests we observed that the absence of ground nesting bird species in the city centre and in residential districts was due to disturbance by humans and domestic animals (dogs and cats) rather than to predation. Furthermore, predation pressure was higher in the outskirts of the city due to the greater number of natural predators. Our results suggest that planning and creating undisturbed areas could increase the chances of ground nesting birds settling and breeding in human-dominated landscapes.

Background and purpose: The assumption that the species composition and the relative abundance of small mammals in pellets of Barn Owls reflects the landscape structure of the hunting area is tested, based on habitat preferences of small mammals identified from pellets collected in the hilly and lowland parts of Baranja county (Croatia). Materials and methods: During 2007 we collected 2395 whole pellets and their fragments in 21 localities, from which 6613 prey remains were identified as belonging to small mammals (99.5%) of 23 species. The correlation between the relative abundance of mammal species and landscape structures (habitat types and landscape features) was tested. Results: There was a significant correlation between the relative abundance of seven small mammal species and the proportion of particular landscape structure classes. The number of small mammal species showed a negative correlation with the area of inland marshes. The evenness of the small mammal fauna grew with the mosaicity of landscape and the length of the borders in the owl's hunting area. In the total prey the Common Vole (Microtus arvalis) dominated with more than 62%, which indicates its population outbreak. The diversity and evenness of small mammals in the hilly and lowland regions did not differ. Conclusions: We found significant correlations between the relative abundance of some small mammal species and the landscape structure classes in the owls' hunting area. Our results suggested that the diversity of small mammals increases as the mosaic of the landscape increases, while the degree of population outbreak of the Common Vole decreases. These relationships should be taken into consideration when designing landscapes or changing land use.