Invertebrate-biased diet of burrowing owls in a newly-restored coastal grassland

Invertebrate-biased diet of burrowing owls in a newly-restored coastal grassland

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Recovering biodiversity across trophic levels is a major challenge in restoration ecology.Specifically, predator population recovery read more depends on the timely re-establishment of their preferred prey species in restored habitats.Here, we evaluate potential dietary factors contributing to the loss of western burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea (Bonaparte, 1825)) from a newly-restored coastal grassland.We examined owl pellets and found that burrowing owl diets were relatively low in vertebrate prey read more during their brief occupation of the restoration site (2.6% of prey items; found in 61.

8% of sampled pellets).We suggest that preferred food limitation may have been one contributor to the loss of owls from the restoration site.These findings suggest the need to prioritise re-establishment of prey communities for effective long-term recovery of burrowing owls in restored landscapes.