Relationship between diet and reproductive success in the Israeli barn owl

The effect of diet on barn owl (Tyto alba) breeding biology has been well studied in the temperate regions but not in the more arid Middle East. In temperate regions, barn owls are darker colored and mainly prey upon Cricetidae rodents, whereas in arid regions, they are lighter colored and prey to a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of arid environments 2015-11, Vol.122, p.59-63
Main Authors: Charter, M., Izhaki, I., Leshem, Y., Meyrom, K., Roulin, A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Breeding biology
Cricetidae
Mediterranean climate
Microtus socialis
Muridae
Predator–prey interactions
Tyto alba
Voles
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Summary:The effect of diet on barn owl (Tyto alba) breeding biology has been well studied in the temperate regions but not in the more arid Middle East. In temperate regions, barn owls are darker colored and mainly prey upon Cricetidae rodents, whereas in arid regions, they are lighter colored and prey to a larger degree upon Muridae rodents. In this study we analyzed the diet and breeding success of 261 barn owl pairs nesting in Israel. The reproductive success of barn owls declined from March to August, and fledged more young when they consumed a larger proportion of social voles (Microtus socialis guentheri). Although the diet of the lighter colored barn owls in Israel comprises more Muridae than that of the darker morphs in temperate regions, in both regions the number of barn owl young increases with an increased proportion of voles in the diet. •Diet and breeding success of 261 barn owl pairs was analyzed.•Barn owls fledged more young when they consumed more social voles.•Barn owl reproductive success decreased from March to August.
ISSN:0140-1963
1095-922X
DOI:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2015.06.011