Diet composition of little owl (Athene noctua Scopoli,1769) in Turkey

Diet composition of birds is important to determine nutritional performance in their living areas. in this study,nutrional properties of the diet of little owl (athene noctua) controlling the proliferation of some animal populations were investigated in isparta centrum and its surroundings during the period december 2012 to november 2013. the analysis of identification of 2336 prey items in 378 pellets collected shows that the species feeds on mainly invertabrates of the orders insecta (92%),pulmonata (1%),haplotaxida (1%) and scolopendromorpha (0.1%) and partly on vertebrates of the orders rodentia (4%),insectivora (1.3%) and passeriformes (0.6%). vertebrate prey items were generally observed in the bigger pellets while invertebrates were dominant in the smaller ones. the ratio of insects in the diet significantly increased during summer months. the determination of diet features of this species would be important to control some species considered harmful in agricultural areas and to provide fundamental base for biological control programmes. copyright 2016 zoological society of pakistan.