Skład wiosenno-letniego pokarmu myszołowa Buteo buteo z terenu Ojcowskiego Parku Narodowego

The aim of this study was to present the composition of the spring-summer diet of the Common Buzzard Buteo buteo in Ojców National Park (southern Poland).
In 2006-2010, the composition of the common buzzard diet was studied during the spring-summer period (breeding season) using two methods: (1) mainly by collecting pellets and prey remains from beneath occupied nests and trees where the birds roost, and (2) additionally by observing predators with their captured prey.
A total of 120 prey items were identified, belonging to 29 taxa/19 species, with a total biomass of over 9.6 kg (tab. 1). The weighted average body mass of the prey was 80.1 g (0.6-1400 g) (tab. 1). Its diet was dominated by mammals in terms of numbers (65.8% of the individuals and 24.4% of the consumed biomass) and by birds in terms of biomass (19.2% of the individuals and 72% of the biomass). The remainder was made up of amphibians (3.3% and 2.5% respectively), reptiles (1.7% and 1% respectively) and insects (10% and 0.1% respectively) (tab. 1). A statistically significant difference was noted between the number and biomass of the individual classes of animals hunted by the Common Buzzard (p = 0.001) (fig. 1). The most frequently caught prey was the Common Vole Microtus arvalis (42.5% of the individuals and 14.6% of the biomass) (tab. 1). The food niche breadth was FNB = 2.43.
In the spring-summer period, the common buzzards in Ojców National Park showed the characteristics of a food generalist, hunting a wide range of prey, but the basis of its diet was small mammals, including the most frequently caught common voles.