Main and Concomitant Prey of the Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) in Problems of Historical Ecology

Abstract

This paper considers mass materials related to the feeding of the eagle owl from three latitudinal regions of the Urals (northern and southern taiga and steppe). All collections were carried out in the same type of location of bone remains of prey from pellets at the nesting grounds of eagle owls in niches and caves at cliffs along riverbanks. The prey of the eagle owl is divided into three categories: main, alternative, and concomitant. The paper shows the degree of correspondence of the proportions of individuals of different species and their groups in the diet of the eagle owl and the population of rodents in the environs of nesting areas. The importance of separate consideration of the main and other prey of the eagle owl in reconstruction of the composition of the fauna and structure of the rodent population based on subfossil ornithogenic materials is emphasized.