Food habits of the endemic Cyprus scops owl (<i>Otus cyprius</i>) during the breeding season

Abstract The diet of the endemic Cyprus scops owl ( Otus cyprius ) was studied for the first time during the breeding season 2021 in 7 nesting sites from 6 sampling locations using the pellet analysis (n = 65 pellets). Insects, mostly Orthoptera and Coleoptera, comprised the bulk of the owl diet (87% abundance, 31% biomass), whereas small mammals and reptiles were important in terms of biomass, with 41% and 24%, respectively. Birds were the lowest prey order, with 0.6% abundance and 3.6% biomass. The most essential insects were grasshoppers (Acrididae) (17%) and scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae) (6%). From vertebrate prey, Mus spp. (23.7%), Mediterranean house gecko ( Hemidactylus turcicus ) (8%), Cyprus spiny mice ( Acomys nesiotes ) (8%), juvenile black rats ( Rattus rattus ) (7%), and Cyprus agamas ( Laudakia cypriaca ) (5%) stand out as % biomass. Predation on a bat species ( Pipistrellus sp.) by scops owl was documented for the first time in Cyprus. The estimated prey biomass ranged from 0.1 – 25 grams, averaging 2.1 g.