02224nas a2200217   4500008004100000245011700041210006900158260001200227300001000239490000800249520149900257653000901756653002301765653000901788653001101797653002901808653001201837100001601849700001901865856012201884       2003                        eng d00aDiet of the Barn Owl (<i>Tyto alba</i>) and Little Owl (<i>Athene noctua</i>) in wetlands of northeastern Greece0 aDiet of the Barn Owl iTyto albai and Little Owl iAthene noctuai   c2003///  a15-220 v1333 aThe diets of the Barn Owl (Tyto alba) and Little Owl (Athene noctua) were studied through pellet analysis in four northeastern Greek wetlands. Results from the months February-September showed that in all areas, the most important prey for the Barn Owl were small mammals (mainly Mus spp., Microtus rossiaemeridionalis, Crocidura spp. and Apodemus spp.) The mammalian prey composition showed winter-summer and among-areas differences. Except in the Evros Delta, where small mammals were dominant by both numbers and biomass, the most numerous prey of the Little Owl were insects (mainly Orthoptera and Coleoptera), but small mammals (mainly M. rossiaemeridionalis and Mus spp.) dominated the diet by biomass. Significant seasonal differences in prey composition occured in the Evros Delta, while the summer diets were also different among wetlands. Barn Owl median prey biomass (MPB) was significantly higher than Little Owl MPB in summer, whereas prey diversity and evenness values were higher in the latter species as a consequence of considerable amounts of insects in its diet. In both owl species, MPB differed significantly among the wetlands in the year of study, while seasonal differences occurred occasionally in some of the wetlands. The total prey overlap (Pianka's symmetric equation) of the two owl species in the summer (range 27%-53%) was lower than the mammalian prey overlap (60%-97%) and both were greater than those found by other authors in most parts of the Mediterranean.10aAves10aBarn Owl Tyto alba10adiet10aGreece10aLittle Owl Athene noctua10awetland1 aGoutner, V.1 aAlivizatos, H.  uhttps://icgf.myspecies.info/content/diet-barn-owl-tyto-alba-and-little-owl-athene-noctua-wetlands-northeastern-greece03313nas a2200217   4500008004100000245010100041210006900142260001200211300001200223490000800235520261700243653001302860653001002873653000902883653001702892653001602909653001802925100002002943700001602963856011602979       2005                        eng d00aThe diet of nestlings of three Ardeidae species (Aves, Ciconiiformes) in the Axios Delta, Greece0 adiet of nestlings of three Ardeidae species Aves Ciconiiformes i  c2005///  a165-1700 v1353 aThe diets of the little egret (Egretta garzetta), the night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) and the squacco heron (Ardeola ralloides) were studied by analyzing nestling regurgitations collected during five breeding seasons (1988-1990 and 1994-1995) at a heronry in the Axios Delta (Northern Greece). In total, 267 regurgitations from little egrets, 247 from night herons and 19 from squacco herons (only in 1995) were collected and analyzed. Each prey item was identified to the lowest possible taxon. The dry mass of each prey taxon was also estimated from oven-dried prey specimens collected in the field. At least 58 different prey taxa were identified among 5,108 items found in little egret regurgitations, at least 45 taxa among 2,373 items regurgitated by night herons and 12 taxa among 277 items from squacco herons regurgitations. Differences were detected between the three ardeid species in the proportion of each prey category. Little egret nestlings were mainly fed fish (39.6% by number) and insects (32.0%), but amphibians and fish were the most important groups by biomass (44.9% and 32.9% respectively). The proportions of prey categories varied significantly between years (÷212 = 922.91, p < 0.001). The night heron nestlings were mainly fed insects and the crustacean Triops cancriformis, although the dry mass of the latter contributed little to the consumed biomass (4.0% compared to the 37.9% of insects). Small mammals and reptiles were included in the diet of the young night herons, while the fish they ate were much bigger than those consumed by little egret nestlings. The proportions of the night herons' main prey categories varied significantly between years (÷ 224 = 598.67, p < 0.001). Squacco heron chicks were fed mainly insects (50.9%) and amphibians (31.8%), the latter being more important by biomass (73.6%). In a cluster analysis, diet of young little egrets and night herons showed greater similarity from 1988 to 1990 than between 1994 and 1995, suggesting temporal changes in prey use. Study years tended to group separately for each species, but those of the little egret were more scattered in the cluster than the night heron's, thus reflecting greater prey use variability. The diet of the squacco heron was similar to that of the little egret when prey type frequencies were considered, but closer to the night heron's by dry mass. The dry mass differed significantly between the species (÷2 = 87.39, p < 0.001, Kruskal-Wallis test). This dietary segregation may be a mechanism that reduces competition among these ardeid species, especially when prey is limited.10aArdeidae10aAxios10adiet10aLittle Egret10aNight heron10aSquacco heron1 aKazantzidis, S.1 aGoutner, V.  uhttps://icgf.myspecies.info/content/diet-nestlings-three-ardeidae-species-aves-ciconiiformes-axios-delta-greece