Caracterización de la dieta de la lechuza de campanario (Tyto alba) bajo la influencia del paisaje urbano-rural

Abstract

This study characterized the diet of the barn owl in the Baños parish of Cuenca, Ecuador, through the analysis of 59 pellets collected between April and June 2025. Seven prey species were identified, with Mus musculus, Rattus rattus, and Cryptotis montivagus being the most representative, reflecting a trophic pattern associated with peri-urban matrices dominated by commensal micromammals. The minimum number of individuals per pellet was 4.03 ± 2.05 (min - max: 1 - 9), while the average pellet weight reached 5.42 ± 2.71 g. A positive and significant correlation was found between the number of prey and pellet weight (r = 0.59; p < 0.001), indicating that heavier pellets contain a greater number of prey items. The species accumulation curve and the Chao2 estimator indicated sufficient sampling effort, with both observed and estimated richness equal to seven species. The high representation of C. montivagus constitutes a relevant regional contribution, as this species has been rarely reported in previous diet studies in Ecuador. Overall, the results highlight the feeding plasticity of the barn owl and its ability to respond to local prey availability, particularly in human-modified environments. These findings reinforce the ecological role of this raptor as a potential biological controller of commensal rodents and as a bioindicator of ecological processes in peri-urban Andean landscapes, providing key information for future monitoring and conservation strategies under a One Health framework.