The diet of Barn Owl (Tyto alba) in Georgia
2025
The Barn Owl (Tyto alba) has only recently colonized Georgia, yet has rapidly expanded throughout the country's lowland agricultural landscapes. Despite its increasing presence, no prior comprehensive study has examined its diet in Georgia. We analyzed 6627 prey items from Barn Owl pellets collected between 2023 and 2025 at 34 sites across five Georgian regions. After sterilization and dissection, prey remains were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level and biomass was estimated. The results show that mammals dominate the diet, accounting for 98.6% of all prey items, with rodents (53% by number, 75% by biomass) and shrews (45% by number, 23% by biomass) being the most common prey groups. Other prey included birds, bats, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates. Notably, Mus macedonicus, Microtus socialis, and Crocidura spp. were the most frequent mammalian prey. Geographic variation in diet composition was observed, with some sites showing a predominance of shrews. This study provides novel insights into the Barn Owl’s feeding ecology in Georgia and offers the first regional data on several small mammal species, including updated records for Micromys minutus and Suncus etruscus. Given the owl’s preference for rodents, it may serve as a valuable component of sustainable rodent control strategies in Georgian agriculture.
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