WINTERING OF LONG – EARED OWL (Asio otus L. 1758) IN OSIJEK AND VICINITY

Mala ušara (Asio otus L. 1758) je ptica iz porodice sova (Strigidae) te reda sovki (Strigiformes). Društvena je ptica koja zimuje u naseljenim područjima okupljajući se na dnevnim spavalištima u skupinama koje mogu sadržavati i do nekoliko stotina jedinki. Cilj ovog završnog rada je zabilježti lokacije dnevnih spavališta malih ušara u Osijeku i okolici, a uz to također analizirati klimatske odlike zime 2018/2019 i utvrditi sastav prehrane male ušare. Jedinke su prebrojavane na tri lokacije u Osijeku: Prolaz Julija Benešića, okolica vrtića „Sjenčica“ na Sjenjaku te kapela sv. Roka. Za dnevna su spavališta male ušare odabrale viseću brezu (Betula pendula Roth) i čempres (Cupressus sp.). Ukupno je prebrojano 125 jedinki. Zimske temperature 2018/2019 su bile u normalnom rasponu, dok je zbog manjka padalina razdoblje bilo sušno. Gvalice su neprobavljeni ostatci koji sadržavaju kosti, lubanje i zube pojedenih životinja pomiješane s dlakom. U analiziranim je gvalicama utvrđena prisutnost četiri vrste plijena: poljska voluharica (Microtus arvalis Pallas), prugasti miš (Apodemus agrarius Pallas), domaći miš (Mus musculus L.) i nedeterminirana vrsta miša roda Apodemus. Najzastupljenija je vrsta Microtus arvalis (30 jedinki), nakon nje Apodemus agrarius (devet jedinki) i Mus musculus (pet jedinki) te naposlijetku nedeterminirana vrsta miša roda Apodemus (dvije jedinke).Long – eared owl (Asio otus L. 1758) is a bird from the family of tipical owls (Strigidae) and from the order of owl – like birds (Strigiformes). It is a social bird who spends winter in populated areas gathered around at daytime sleeping area in groups that can contain up to several hundred individuals. The aim of this thesis is to note the locations of daytime sleeping areas of long – eared owl in Osijek and vicinity, as well as analize the climate characteristics of winter 2018/2019 and determine the composition of long – eared owl nutrition. The individuals were counted at three locations in Osijek: Passage of Julije Benešić, area near kindergarden „Sjenčica“ in Sjenjak and Chapel of St. Roch. For their daytime sleeping areas long – eared owls choosed the silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) and cypress (Cupressus sp.). A total of 125 individuals were counted. Winter temperatures 2018/2019 were in the normal range, while due to the lack of precipitation the period was dry. Pellets are undigested residues that contain bones, skulls and teeth of digested animals mixed with hair. In the analyzed pellets the presence of four species of prey were determined: common vole (Microtus arvalis Pallas), striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius Pallas), house mouse (Mus musculus L.) and undetermined species of mice from the genus Apodemus. The most common species is Microtus arvalis (30 individuals), followed by Apodemus agrarius (nine individuals) and Mus musculus (five individuals) and at last undetermined species of mice from the genus Apodemus (two individuals)