AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

Effect of Food and Habitat on Breeding Success in Spotted Owlets (Athene brama) Nesting in Villages and Rural Landscapes in India

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:2007
Authors:Pande, S, Pawashe, A, Mahajan, MN, Joglekar, C, Mahabal, A
Journal:Journal of Raptor Research
Volume:41
Issue:1
Date Published:2007
ISBN Number:0892-1016
Keywords:Athene, Athene brama, Heteroglaux, Heteroglaux blewitti, India, Strigidae, Strix, Strix occidentalis
Abstract:ABSTRACT We measured breeding success of Spotted Owlets (Athene brama) in two habitats, villages (human habitations) and rural areas (open country) in India. We quantified habitat types in 500-m-radius circles surrounding 53 nest sites and examined owlet pellets collected at nest sites in both areas, to describe owlet diet. Breeding success was higher in the human habitations than in open country (3.3 young per successful nest vs. 2.2, respectively, P < 0.001). Diet at nests in human habitations contained more rodents and other noninsectivorous non-arachnid prey (by biomass and species richness) than those in open country (P < 0.01 for rodents and P < 0.001 for other prey). We used multivariate linear regression to examine which factors of habitat and diet most influenced breeding success and found that only the percentage of rodents, and the percentage of other prey were included as statistically significant variables in our final model. Thus, the most significant determinant of breeding success of Spotted Owlets was high-value prey items, which were more abundant in the areas of human habitations.ABSTRACT We measured breeding success of Spotted Owlets (Athene brama) in two habitats, villages (human habitations) and rural areas (open country) in India. We quantified habitat types in 500-m-radius circles surrounding 53 nest sites and examined owlet pellets collected at nest sites in both areas, to describe owlet diet. Breeding success was higher in the human habitations than in open country (3.3 young per successful nest vs. 2.2, respectively, P < 0.001). Diet at nests in human habitations contained more rodents and other noninsectivorous non-arachnid prey (by biomass and species richness) than those in open country (P < 0.01 for rodents and P < 0.001 for other prey). We used multivariate linear regression to examine which factors of habitat and diet most influenced breeding success and found that only the percentage of rodents, and the percentage of other prey were included as statistically significant variables in our final model. Thus, the most significant determinant of breeding success of Spotted Owlets was high-value prey items, which were more abundant in the areas of human habitations.
URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.3356/0892-1016(2007)41[26:EOFAHO]2.0.CO;2
Short Title:Journal of Raptor Research
Taxonomic name: 
Athene (Birds), Athene brama (Birds), Heteroglaux (Birds), Heteroglaux blewitti (Birds), Heteroglaux Blewitti (Birds), Strigidae (Birds), Strix (Birds)
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith