The analysis of the diet composition of the barn owl Tyto alba (Scopoli, 1769) from the region of Brzeg, Opolskie Voivodeship (Poland)

Research on the diet composition of the barn owl Tyto alba was conducted near the town of Przecza in the area of Lewin Brzeski (Opolskie Voivodeship. On the basis of 1158 bone elements, 14 species of small mammals were found, including 4 insectivorous species (Sorex araneus, Sorex minutus, Neomys fodiens, Cocidura suaveolens), 5 vole species (Microtus arvalis, Microtus agrestis, Arvicola terrestris, Myodes glareolus, Microtus oeconomus) and 5 mouse species (Mus musculus, Apodemus agrarius, Apodemus flavicolis, Apodemus sylvaticus, Micromys minutus). The diet was dominated by 3 species: Microtus arvalis, Sorex araneus and the Apodemus agrarius. The conducted research clearly shows that the T. alba in the area of Przecza fed mainly with small mammals, while birds constituted only a small share in the total research material. The collected information is valuable for understanding the distribution of individual species, as well as for understanding the diet composition of the T. alba, and may also be useful in agriculture in order to implement protective measures