Winter Diet of an Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) Near the Yedikır Dam, Amasya (Turkey)

Abstract

Aim of study:The aim of this study was to contribute to the data on the diet of Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) in Turkey.Area of study: This study was conducted near the Yedikır Dam (Amasya) Material and methods: A total of 12 pellets of the Eurasian Eagle Owl collected in Yedikır Dam was analyzed. The remains of the skull and lower jaw were used for the identification of mammals.Main results: 60 preys were identified to belong to 6 different taxa (5 Rodents and 1 Passerine). The main prey was Mus spp. (35.0%). Only one bird remain was recorded from pellets.Highlights: Pellet analyses were the first step for understanding the diet of B. bubo. Considering, B. bubo is an opportunistic predator and can consume medium-sized mammals and large-sized birds. Hence, a diet study supported with remains that are directly collected from the nest or perching site and their surroundings will reveal more objectively prey preferences for this apex predator.

Diet of Adult Eagle Owl during Breeding Season in Northwestern Türkiye

“…Due to the color of the examined pellets and the bone composition they contain, it is estimated that the pellets belong to adult individuals. The measurements of the examined pellet samples are consistent with the data of Mysterud and Dunker (1983), Brown et al (2003) and Özkoç and Selçuk (2021). Although it is unclear whether the other studies from Türkiye were conducted during the breeding season, this issue makes comparison difficult.…”

“…The research reported by Morgan (1983) based on data from April, by Obuch (1994) reporting for the period of May to June, and by Obuch (2001) from April to June may refer to the dietary content of breeding season of Bubo bubo in Türkiye. When the number of species in the diet of Bubo bubo from Türkiye is compared, it is evident that mammals, especially Rodentia species, predominate (Morgan 1983, Obuch 2001, Seçkin et al 2012, Özkoç and Selçuk 2021). In the present study, rodentia species especially Microtus mystacinus (n = 268; N% = 28.24; B% = 31.3) and Cricetulus migratorius (n = 156; N% = 16.43; B% = 15.91) were predominant in eagle owl diet.…”

“…In the present study, no dormice species were found in the pellets at all. Özkoç and Selçuk (2021) recorded five species of rodent and an unidentified bird species in winter diet of Bubo bubo from northern Türkiye (Table 2). In the present study, rodent species ( Microtus mystacinus n = 268, N% = 28.24; Cricetulus migratorius n = 156, N% = 16.43) were similarly dominant in the breeding season pellets.…”

“…Kaya and Coşkun (2014), 7. Özkoç and Selçuk (2021). The shaded areas show the distribution of Bubo bubo (Map modified from Birdlife International 2023).…”

“…They noted that the majority of the species detected in the pellets were Microtinae species. Özkoç and Selçuk (2021) recorded 5 species of rodents and one unidentified species of bird in the winter diet of Bubo bubo from Amasya, northern Türkiye.…”