Unusual foraging patterns of the barn owl, Tyto alba (Strigiformes: Tytonidae), on small islets from the Pityusic archipelago (Western Mediterranean Sea)

Title:

Unusual foraging patterns of the barn owl, Tyto alba (Strigiformes: Tytonidae), on small islets from the Pityusic archipelago (Western Mediterranean Sea)

Creator:

Guerra, Carmen, García, David, and Alcover, Josep Antoni

Identifier:

https://cdk.lib.cas.cz/client/handle/uuid:3804407a-df94-48af-80d7-bdfe798477d0
uuid:3804407a-df94-48af-80d7-bdfe798477d0

Subject:

opportunistic behaviour, diet, Formentera, European storm petrel, human arrival, and home range

Type:

article, model:article, and TEXT

Description:

Research on the diet of barn owls on some of the lesser Pityusic Islands (Formentera, s’Espalmador and s’Espartar) reveals a previously undescribed opportunistic trophic behaviour based on regular foraging in patches of territory separated by relatively broad sea channels. Individually, small islets with reduced human influence do not usually provide enough food for the barn owl. Consequently, the species expands its home range to include multiple islands or islets. This study is the first to document the regular crossing of broad sea channels (one of which exceeds 4.5 km) by barn owls in order to hunt. The islets provide the barn owls with prey otherwise considered as marginal (such as Oryctolagus cuniculus and Hydrobates pelagicus).

Language:

English

Rights:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
policy:public

Source:

Folia zoologica | 2014 Volume:63 | Number:3

Harvested from:

CDK

Metadata only:

false