Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
4394676 | Journal of Arid Environments | 2007 | 5 Pages |
Abstract
The summer diet of Little Owls (Athene noctua) in Minqin Desert Experimental Research Station of northwestern China was analysed. A total of 293 individuals representing seven species of rodents, one bird, three reptiles, two families of invertebrates and unidentified invertebrates were identified in 113 pellets and 29 prey remains collected during June and July of 2005. By frequency, invertebrates constituted 77.5% of the diet, mammals 17.8%, reptiles 3.8% and birds 1.0%. In term of biomass consumption, mammals comprised 93.7% of the diet, invertebrates 3.9%, birds 1.9% and reptiles 1.1%. The results suggested that the Little Owls were active at day and night and fed mainly on rodents and beetles related to the desert habitats.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Earth-Surface Processes
Authors
M. Shao, T. Hounsome, N. Liu,