Winter diet of the Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus (Aves, Accipitriformes) in the Evros Delta (Greece)

• Main Authors: BIRTSAS Periklis, ALIVIZATOS Haralambos, KAZANTZIDIS Savas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: CITDD Publishing House 2011-01-01
• Series: Scientific Annals of the Danube Delta Institute
• Subjects: diet; winter; Circus aeruginosus; Evros Delta; Greece
• Online Access: http://www.ddni.ro/manager/editor/UserFiles/File/Scientific%20annals/volume/17/2.pdf

The diet of the Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) was studied with the analysis of pellets collected in the Evros Delta. In total, 141 prey items were identified in 86 pellets. In terms of numbers, the diet consisted of 66.7% mammals, 27.7% birds and 5.7% insects. Considering biomass, birds were the most important prey, while mammals made up 36.6% of the diet. The most important species, in terms of biomass, were Sibling Vole (Microtus levis) -31.1%-,Teal (Anas crecca) -17.7%-, Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) and Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) -11.8% each-. The mean estimated prey weight was 36 g., ranging from 1 to 300 g.