Diversidade alimentar da Coruja-Buraqueira (Athenecunicularia) em ambiente antropomorfizado no município de Maracaí/SP

Resumo (EN)

Objective – To describe A. cunicularia’s eating habits in an urban environment in the city of Maracaí, in the west region of the state of São Paulo, besides identifying the consumption frequency of some groups of invertebrates andvertebrates. Methods – The data have been obtained through collections of egagropilias (regurgitated balls of undigested material) around the nest, in a region which consists of grasslands, and in a neighborhood with a large number of empty plots. The collections were made in 11 nests in April, May and June. Results – The 75 samples collected during the research revealed a higher frequency of invertebrates (represented by the insect orders of Coleoptera, Orthoptera and Polydesmida) in comparison to vertebrates (represented by mammals and birds), whose frequency was lower. Conclusion – The study of A. cunicularia’s eating habits is important not only for the acquisition and complementation of data on the distribution of many species but also for its preservation and a better understanding of its habitat. Although these owls feed mainly on invertebrates, the Burrowing owl’s eating habits is quite diversified, which makes it a generalist bird.