Spatial Variation in the Diet of the Barn Owl Tyto alba in the Caribbean

[摘要] OnBonaireweassessedBamOwlTytoalbadietsatfourdiscretesites.The233freshpelletscontained755identifiablepreyitemsfromfourtaxonomicorders.Averagepreydiversitydifferedtwo-tothreefoldbetweensites.Dietarycompositionshowedlargespatialvariationsbetweensites,frompredominantlyinsectivoroustoavian.Between-islandvariationwasassessedbycomparingthedietarycompositionofpopulationsofBarnOwlsonnineislandsthroughouttheCaribbeanregionasreportedintheliterature.On8/9islandsmammals(mainlyrodentsandbats)formedthemaindiet.Onhalfoftheislandsaboutafifthormoreofthepreycomprisedbirds.Reptilesand/orinsectswereeatenon5/9islands,butrarelydominatedthediet.Theselargewithin-islanddietarydifferencesreflectdifferentialpreyavailabilitiesintheCaribbean,possiblyenhancedlocallybyspecialisation.

[学科分类] 动物科学

[关键词] Caribbean