<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The diet of the Pharaoh Eagle-Owl, <italic>Bubo ascalaphus,</italic> was investigated based on 338 pellets collected from caves and underground caves in Ara’r region, northern Saudi Arabia. Small mammals constituted the highest number of consumed prey (75.75%), followed by arthropods (20%), birds (2.9%) and reptiles (1.26%). The Libyan Jird, <italic>Meriones libycus</italic>, was the most consumed rodent (26.46%) followed by Sundevall’s Jird, <italic>Meriones crassus</italic> (20.47%), while the least were Cheesman Gerbil, <italic>Gerbillus cheesmani</italic>, and Wagner’s Gerbil, <italic>Gerbillus dasyurus.</italic> At least three species of scorpions, <italic>Androctonus crassicauda</italic>, <italic>Compsbuthus</italic> sp. and <italic>Scorpio</italic> sp., and two species of reptiles <italic>(Ptyodactylus hasselquistii</italic> and <italic>Trapellus agnetae)</italic> were recovered. Study of owl pellet contents proved to be a valuable tool to study species composition in unexplored regions. Also, our findings substantiate the fact that the Pharaoh Eagle-Owl is an opportunistic species that adapts to available preys in its habitat.</p>
</abstract>

The diet of the Pharaoh Eagle-Owl, Bubo ascalaphus, was investigated based on 338 pellets collected from caves and underground caves in Ara’r region, northern Saudi Arabia. Small mammals constituted the highest number of consumed prey (75.75%), followed by arthropods (20%), birds (2.9%) and reptiles (1.26%). The Libyan Jird, Meriones libycus, was the most consumed rodent (26.46%) followed by Sundevall’s Jird, Meriones crassus (20.47%), while the least were Cheesman Gerbil, Gerbillus cheesmani, and Wagner’s Gerbil, Gerbillus dasyurus. At least three species of scorpions, Androctonus crassicauda, Compsbuthus sp. and Scorpio sp., and two species of reptiles (Ptyodactylus hasselquistii and Trapellus agnetae) were recovered. Study of owl pellet contents proved to be a valuable tool to study species composition in unexplored regions. Also, our findings substantiate the fact that the Pharaoh Eagle-Owl is an opportunistic species that adapts to available preys in its habitat.

Diet of Pharaoh Eagle-Owl, <italic>Bubo ascalaphus</italic>, from Ara’r region, northern Saudi Arabia

Ornis Hungarica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Diet of Pharaoh Eagle-Owl, , from Ara’r region, northern Saudi Arabia

The diet of the Pharaoh Eagle-Owl, Bubo ascalaphus, was investigated based on 338 pellets collected from caves and underground caves in Ara’r region, northern...

Diet of Pharaoh Eagle-Owl, Bubo ascalaphus, from Ara’r region, northern Saudi Arabia

Published Online: Dec 09, 2023

Page range: 226 - 235

Received: Jun 14, 2023

Accepted: Sep 26, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/orhu-2023-0032

Keywords
underground caves, biodiversity, vertebrates, feeding behaviour, Saudi Arabia

© 2023 Abdul Rahman Al Ghamdi et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Diet of Pharaoh Eagle-Owl, Bubo ascalaphus, from Ara’r region, northern Saudi Arabia

Published Online: Dec 09, 2023

Page range: 226 - 235

Received: Jun 14, 2023

Accepted: Sep 26, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/orhu-2023-0032

Keywordsunderground caves, biodiversity, vertebrates, feeding behaviour, Saudi Arabia

© 2023 Abdul Rahman Al Ghamdi et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
underground caves, biodiversity, vertebrates, feeding behaviour, Saudi Arabia