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Diet of Mackinder's eagle owl Bubo capensis mackinderi in the alpine zone of Mount Kenya
Author(s) -
Rödel Heiko G.,
Scholze Wolfgang W. A.,
Kock Dieter
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
african journal of ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.499
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1365-2028
pISSN - 0141-6707
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2028.2002.00374.x
Subject(s) - insectivore , bubo , predation , frugivore , eagle , kestrel , biology , ecology , biomass (ecology) , zoology , geography , habitat
The diet of Bubo capensis mackinderi Sharpe in the alpine zone of Mt. Kenya was studied by analysing pellets collected from nesting and roosting sites in four different valleys. Overall, mammals comprised 97.4% of prey individuals and 98.9% of the ingested biomass. Rodents, mainly groove‐toothed rats, were the owl's staple food in all four valleys, but rock hyrax, insectivores and birds were also consumed. Proportions of rock hyrax, rodents and insectivores did not differ between the valleys. Total dietary composition in the different valleys showed a high degree of overlap in proportions of main prey types averaging 93.2% in percentage of occurrence and 85.0% in percentage of biomass.