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Vertebrate diet of the common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) and barn owl (Tyto alba) in rain-fed crops: implications to the pest control programs

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Abstract

Damage associated with rodent’s outbreaks is common in the actual intensive agriculture. In order to reduce these economic losses, the placement of nest boxes for raptors could be a useful alternative to the chemical control programs. Barn owl (Tyto alba) and common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) are two of the most commonly used species as rodent biological controls. The increase of the density of these two raptors is able to reduce the rodent’s abundance without the huge negative impact caused by the use of chemical products in surrounding biodiversity. However, other prey species could be affected by these raptors too. In order to evaluate the different impacts of barn owl and common kestrel on non-pest species, we studied the diet in 50 paired nest boxes during 3 consecutive years, based on 1249 pellets. The proportion of small mammals considered pests for agriculture (voles and mice) consumed by barn owl (80%) and common kestrel (75.6%) were quite similar. Based on nutritional requirements, nest-box occupancy probability and productivity, we estimated a consumption of 5.24 rodents per day per common kestrel nest-box placed and of 4.95 rodents per barn owl nest-box placed. However, shrews were significantly more captured by barn owl and birds were significantly more captured by common kestrel. Our results showed that both species of raptors can be effective in controlling rodents that are harmful to agriculture, but the common kestrel seemed to be slightly more efficient and might also prey on insect taxa that could be important agricultural pests.

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Availability of data and material

The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors want to thank Vanesa Alzaga for her help with the design of the map and Mark den Toom for his English revision.

Funding

Sample collection was included in the technical assistance in biological pest control, performed by Navarra Environmental Management (GAN-NIK) and financed by the Sanidad Vegetal Section of the Agriculture Department of the Navarra government. G.M. was supported by a Serra Húnter felow. The rest of the work was carried out without any economic support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Wildlife Ecology and Health Group, Escola Tècnica Superior D’Enginyeria Agrària, Universitat de Lleida, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure, 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain

    Ane Montoya & Gregorio Mentaberre

  2. Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Paseo de la Universidad 7, 01006, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Alava, Spain

    Xabier Cabodevilla

  3. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain

    Xabier Cabodevilla

  4. Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales–Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain

    Juan Antonio Fargallo

  5. Departamento de Biología Y Geología, IES Tierra Estella, Calle Remontival, 7, 31200, Estella, Navarre, Spain

    Esther Biescas

  6. Navarra Environmental Management (GAN-NIK), C/ Padre Adoain, 219, 31015, Pamplona, , Navarre, Spain

    Diego Villanúa

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  1. Ane Montoya
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  2. Xabier Cabodevilla
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  3. Juan Antonio Fargallo
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  4. Esther Biescas
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  6. Diego Villanúa
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Contributions

A. Montoya, G. Mentaberre, and D. Villanúa formulated the research question. Field and laboratory work was performed by A. Montoya, E. Biescas, and D. Villanúa. Statistical analyses were performed by X. Cabodevilla and J. A. Fargallo. A. Montoya wrote the initial draft of the manuscript in Spanish. E. Biescas translated the manuscript. All authors participated equally in the discussion and preparation on the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Diego Villanúa.

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Montoya, A., Cabodevilla, X., Fargallo, J.A. et al. Vertebrate diet of the common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) and barn owl (Tyto alba) in rain-fed crops: implications to the pest control programs. Eur J Wildl Res 67, 79 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-021-01515-0

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