| Abstrakt: |
Abstract: In southwestern Bulgaria in rocky habitats of the struma River valley and Rodopi Mts, were collected 4 and small samples of tawny owl's and eagle owl's prey remnants, respectively. Abundance of identified prey species was analyzed and feeding ecology of the two owl species was characterized in comparison with published sources using the method of significant differences from the mean. From 390 prey items of tawny owl, 35 taxa was identified. Mammals markedly prevail (25 species, 53,6%), birds are uncommon (7,6%), slugs reach high percentages (24,6%). High diversities of mammals (21 species, 70,4%) and birds (42 taxa, 24,4%) feature in two samples of eagle owl's prey remnants from the Struma valley. Our data on the food of eagle and tawny owls were compared with all the literary data available from Bulgaria and the blocks of diagnostic species with significant positive differences from the mean were provided. The food of eagle owl in Bulgaria shows high variability and diversity (H'>4), being dominated by species with greater body size and containing high percentage of birds. The finding of Tadarida teniotis remnants in tawny owl's pellets represents the third record of this bat species in Bulgaria. |
