The diet of barn owls at a roost near Grahamstown

Abstract

Barn owl Tyto alba pellets were collected over a period of 13 months from a roost near Grahamstown. Twelve species of small mammals and two bird species were found in the pellets. Mastomys natalensis and Mus minutoides were most numerous in the diet of the owls toward the end of winter whilst in summer Otomys irroratus and O. saundersae formed most of the prey remains.