Winter Diet of Long-eared Owls Asio otus
in Bergamo district
In the present study of winter diet of Long eared owl in Lombardy (North
of Italy) we found a significant presence of bird prey. The 671 pellets analysed yielded
867 prey of which 48% were of the Aves class (20 different species).
Pellets were collected in four roosts: two located in urban habitat (a
cemetery and a private garden), and the other ones in the woods of Parco
Adda Nord and Parco del Serio. In the two roosts of Bergamo and Caravaggio the
percentage of birds was very high (55% and 51%) and it confirms expansion of Long eared
Owls in northern Italy is in relation with colonisation of new areas (even degradated ones
- record of Simpson index for Italy is 0.870973). One Athene noctua
(cemetery of Caravaggio) was the only non passeriformes we found.
In the pellets of Bergamo roosts I found a most important predation of
Chiroptera (see Table 1) in Italy.
A small curiosity (look the slides) : in 3 pellets I found 3 Rings of
birds : 2 Turdus merula and 1 Erithacus rubecola!
Data Tables and Photos
Roost 1 - Bergamo Town (North Italy)
Roost 2 - Cemetery of Caravaggio
Roost 3 - Trezzo, Parco Adda Nord woods
Roost 4 - Zanica, Parco del Serio
Acknowledgements
Special Thanks to Anna Barbagallo and Enrico Bassi for this study and Tea Sala, Davide
De Vecchi, Francesca Galizzi for your help on field.
And special thanks to Claudia Savio for your help in translate and Gianna Dondini and
Simone Vergari (Natural Hist. Museum of Florence) and Paolo Gaelotti (University of Pavia,
Dept. Of Animal Biology) for your help.
References
Mastrorilli M., Barbagallo A., Bassi E., 1999 - Dati sulla nicchia trofica invernale
del Gufo comune Asio otus in provincia di Bergamo 10° Italian National Conference of
Ornitology Caorle (Venice) ITALY - Avocetta Italian Journ.of Ornit. 23:54
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