The diet of the Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia), in the margin of the reservoir La Angostura, Tafí del Valle, Tucumán, Argentina

The Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) has been widely studied in terms of food habits in Argentina and South America. However, there is little information about feeding in areas adjacent to wetlands. The aim of the present work was to determine the feeding of A. cunicularia through the study of the pellets during a year, in the zone of the margin of the Reservoir La Angostura, located in the Department Tafí del Valle, in the western sector of the Province of Tucumán, Argentina, approximately to the 26º 55’S, 65º 41’W, to about 2000 msnm. Five caves, resting places and hangers were identified. The field study was conducted during the months of April 2013 and March 2014. 613 pellets were obtained which were weighed, measured and analyzed. The taxonomic determinations of the prey items were performed to the maximum possible level. A total of 14,791 prey items were identified, including Mammalia, Aves, Anphibia, Chelicerata and Insecta. The most abundant were of the Class Insecta with 14,009 items (7,451 items of the order Hymenoptera and 6.121 items of the Order Coleoptera), followed by Mammalia with 289 items and Anphibia with 135 items. A. cunicularia showed a generalist and opportunistic feeding during the year. From the present work could be evaluated the role that this species of Strigidae would perform as biological controller of the population growth of its prey.