Prey ecology of the burrowing owl Athene cunicularia cunicularia (Molina, 1782) on the northern coast of Santa Catarina, Brazil

ABSTRACT

We analyzed the diet of Athene cunicularia cunicularia in order to identify and compare prey items in dune populations in Santa Catarina, Brazil: Interpraias (INT), Praia Brava (BRA), Praia Central (NAV) and Peninsula (BVE). Due to the characteristics of urbanization in these regions, we hypothesized that there would be greater abundance and consumption of urban insect pests in the areas of BRA, NAV, and INT than in BVE. We collect owl pellets monthly in 2017. The non-parametric analysis ANOVA was applied to identify differences in pellet weights and niche amplitude between populations and seasons and PERMANOVA was applied to identify differences between prey items. Were collected 1064 pellets containing 20 prey items, including: invertebrates (Arachnida, Insecta and Crustacea Malacostraca – 83%), vertebrates (Osteichthyes, amphibians, Reptilia, birds and Mammalia – 8.6%), seeds (6.38%) and miscellaneous materials of anthropic origin (0.19%). There was no difference in the pellet weights, but the diets observed in INT and BRA were significantly different, a result that may be a reflection of the microenvironments in which the burrowing owl lives. This shows that, in addition to a generalist diet, this species has the capacity to adapt to urban changes.

KEYWORDS:

• Burrowing owl
• dunes
• diet
• pellets
• prey

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Graduate Program in Ecology and Natural Resources - UFSCar - São Carlos for the opportunity to achievement out the Doctorate. To Prof. Dr. José Carlos Motta Júnior for his teachings on owl pellets screening. And to the students of Univali - Itajaí, for helping the author in the fieldwork.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was financed by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), with a scholarship granted to a PhD student by the Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior.