DIET OF GERMAN OWL

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 146, 16 March 1939, Page 10

DIET OF GERMAN OWL

Result Of Professor’s Investigations

Dominion Special Service.

DUNEDIN, March 15

Results which indicate that the German or little owl preys on other birds to only a limited extent have been obtained by Professor B. J. Marples, professor of zoology at Hie University of Otago, from investigations of the diet of these owls which he has been carrying out for some time. In till Professor Marples has now examined tlie stomach contents of no fewer than 93 owls, and the evidence lie lias collected suggests that a very large part of the diet of tlie birds consists of beetles and caterpillars. Professor .Marples said that most of the German owls that were sent to him came from Southland or the Gatlins district. Some came from Canterbury, but it was doubtful whether they were in the North Island at all. In the stomach contents of the first 50 owls ho examined Professor Marples found beetles and caterpillars leading tlie field handsomely with 357 and 289 representatives respectively. Spiders came next with 50. There were 36 wetas and 32 earwigs, but only four bjrds, four mice and four lizards, the last-mentioned having all come from one bird, whieli had evidently struck a good patch of Lizards. Worms were found in 21 birds, though it was not possible to determine how many worms had actually been oaten. Of the remains of the birds found inside the owls, Professor Marples said one looked like a lark and another owl had been shot while it was eating a blackbird. It had been found in England that the German owl fed very largely on ground birds, and the evidence he had gathered so far seemed to indicate that a similar position existed in New Zealand.

The prejudice against the owl which existed in some quarters was not general, as it was protected by law in Switzerland and Hungary and in various other European countries it was regarded as being beneficial.