Resumen
Raptors, such as the western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea), are at the top of the food chain and play a critical role in regulating prey populations. The objective of this study was to determine the composition and seasonal variation in the diet of the western burrowing owl in a region of the Chihuahuan Desert during two seasons, summer and autumn. From June to December
2018, 79 pellets were collected and analyzed to identify the main prey orders consumed, the trophic niche breadth, and the dietary overlap between seasons. The primary prey orders identified in the owl’s diet were Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Orthoptera. Trophic niche breadth analysis revealed that the owl feeds mainly on coleoptera, which comprised 75.5 % of its diet in summer and 76.7 % in autumn. This pattern was quantified using Levins’ standardized trophic niche breadth index (BEST), yielding values
of 0.09854 in summer and 0.09375 in autumn, confirming dietary specialization in both seasons (BEST =0.09857). Additionally, no overlap with other dietary components was observed, which may be attributed to the seasonal availability of potential prey in the study area. Understanding the trophic ecology of the western burrowing owl is crucial for developing effective management strategies and habitat conservation.
Citas
Andrade, A., Teta, P., & Contreras, J. R. (2004). Dieta de la lechucita vizcachera (Speotyto cunicularia) en el parque nacional Médanos del Chaco (Paraguay). Ornitologia Neotropical, 15, 87- 92. https://ri.conicet.gov.ar/handle/11336/105764
Andrade, A., Nabte, M. J., & Kun, M. E. (2010). Diet of the burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) and its seasonal variation in Patagonian steppes: Implications for biodiversity assessments in the Somuncurá Plateau Protected Area, Argentina. Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment, 45(2), 101-110. https://doi.org/10.1080/01650521.2010.502010 Aragón, E. E., Castillo, B., & Garza, A. (2002). Roedores en la dieta de dos aves rapaces nocturnas (Bubo virginianus y Tyto alba) en el noreste de Durango, México. Acta Zoológica Mexicana, 86, 29-50. https://azm.ojs.inecol.mx/index.php/azm/article/ view/2498/2874
Askins, R. A., Chávez-Ramírez, F., Dale, B. C., Haas, C. A., Herkert, J. R., Knopf, F. L., & Vickery, P. D. (2007). Conservation of grassland birds in North America: Understanding ecological processes in different regions. Ornithological Monographs, 64, 1-46. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40166905
Azpiroz, A. B., Isacch, J. P., Dias, R. A., Di Giacomo, A. S., Fontana, C. S., & Morales-Palarea, C. (2012). Ecology and conservation of grassland birds in southeastern South America: A review. Journal of Field Ornithology, 83(3), 217-246. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1557-9263.2012.00372.x
Barclay, R. M., & Brigham, R. M. (1991). Prey detection, dietary niche breadth, and body size in bats: why are aerial insectivorous bats so small? The American Naturalist, 137(5), 693-703. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2462602
Beare, M. H. (1997). Fungal and bacterial pathways of organic matter decomposition and nitrogen mineralization in arable soils. In L. Brussaard & R. Ferrera-Cerrato (Eds.), Soil Ecology in Sustainable Agricultural System (pp. 41-74). CRC Press LLC. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003040057
Bellocq, M. I. (1998). Prey selection by breeding and nonbreeding Barn Owls in Argentina. The Auk, 115(1), 224-229. https://doi.org/10.2307/4089132
Bennett, R. S., Williams, B. A., Schmedding, D. W., & Bennett, J. K. (1991). Effects of dietary exposure to methyl parathion on egg laying and incubation in mallards. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: An International Journal, 10(4), 501-507. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620100410
Bó, M. S., Baladrón, A. V., & Biondi, L. M. (2007). Ecología trófica de Falconiformes y Strigiformes: tiempo de síntesis. El Hornero, 22(2), 97-115. https://www.scielo.org.ar/pdf/hornero/v22n2/v22n2a03.pdf
Carevic, F. S., Carmona, E. R., & Muñoz-Pedreros, A. (2013). Seasonal diet of the burrowing owl Athene cunicularia Molina, 1782 (Strigidae) in a hyperarid ecosystem of the Atacama desert in northern Chile. Journal of Arid Environments, 97, 237- 241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2013.07.008
Cavalli, M., Baladrón, A. V., Isacch, J. P., Martínez, G., & Bó, M. S. (2014). Prey selection and food habits of breeding burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) in natural and modified habitats of Argentine pampas. Emu-Austral Ornithology, 114(2), 184-188. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MU13040
Cepeda-Pizarro, J., Pizarro-Araya, J., & Vásquez, H. (2005). Composición y abundancia de artrópodos epígeos del Parque Nacional Llanos de Challe: impactos del ENOS de 1997 y efectos del hábitat pedológico. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 78(4), 635- 650. http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0716-078X2005000400004
Chernoff, N., Setzer, R. W., Miller, D. B., Rosen, M. B., & Rogers, J. M. (1990). Effects of chemically induced maternal toxicity on prenatal development in the rat. Teratology, 42(6), 651-658. https://doi.org/10.1002/tera.1420420610
Colwell, R. K. (2004). EstimateS user´s Gguide. http://purl.oclc.org/estimates
Comisión Técnica Consultiva para la Determinación de los Coeficientes de Agostadero (COTECOCA). (1978). Determinación de Coeficientes de Agostadero. COTECOCA-SARH.
Cruz-Nieto, M. A. (2006). Ecología invernal de la Lechuza llanera (Athene cunicularia), en pastizales ocupados por Perrito llanero Mexicano (Cynomys mexicanus), Galeana, Nuevo León, México [Ph.D. Thesis, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León]. http://eprints.uanl.mx/4035/1/1080253546.pdf
Desmond, M. J., Savidge, J. A., & Eskridge, K. M. (2000). Correlations between burrowing owl and black-tailed prairie dog declines: A 7-year analysis. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 64(4), 1067-1075. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1163&context=natrespapers
Didham, R. K., Ghazoul, J., Stork, N. E., & Davis, A. J. (1996). Insects in fragmented forests: a functional approach. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 11(6), 255-260. https://doi.org/10.1016/0169- 5347(96)20047-3
Drielle, A., Branco, J. O., & Barrilli, G. H. C. (2022). Prey ecology of the burrowing owl Athene cunicularia cunicularia (Molina, 1782) on the northern coast of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment, 57(3), 283-290, https://doi.org/10.1080/01650521.2020.1867953
Enríquez-Rocha, P., Rangel-Salazar, J. L., & Holt, D. W. (1993). Presence and distribution of Mexican owls: A review. Journal of Raptor Research, 27(3), 154-160. https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/ files/journals/jrr/v027n03/p00154-p00160.pdf
Gervais, J. A., Rosenberg, D. K., Fry, D. M., Trulio, L., & Sturm, K. K. (2000). Burrowing owls and agricultural pesticides: Evaluation of residues and risks for three populations in California, USA. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 19(2), 337-343. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620190213
González-Rojas, J. I., Cruz-Nieto, M. A., Guzmán-Velasco, A., Ruvalcaba-Ortega, I., Olalla-Kerstupp, A., & Ruiz-Ayma G. (2020). Winter diet of burrowing owls in the Llano La Soledad, Galeana, Nuevo León, México. Peer J, 10, e13324. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13324
Haug, E. A., Millsap, B. A., & Martell, M. S. (1993). Burrowing owl (Speotyto cunicularia). In Poole, A., & Gill, F. (Eds.), The birds of North America (pp. 1-20). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists’ Union.
Herse, M. R. (2016). Diet and behavior of extralimital western burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia hypogea) in tallgrass prairie. Southwestern Naturalist, 61(4), 341-348. https://doi.org/10.1894/0038-4909-61.4.341
Holroyd, G. L., Rodriguez-Estrella, R., & Sheffield, S. R. (2001). Conservation of the burrowing owl in western North America: Issues, challenges, and recommendations. Journal of Raptor Research, 35(4), 399-407. https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/jrr/v035n04/p00399-p00407.pdf
Infante, G. S. (1980). Métodos estadísticos no paramétricos. Centro de Estadística y Cálculo, Colegio de Postgraduados. JMP. (2024). Statistics for the Apple Macintosh: Statistics and Graphics Guide (ver. 17.2). Academic SAS Institute Inc.
Krebs, C. J. (1978). Ecology: The experimental analysis of distribution and abundance (2a ed.). Harper International Edition. Harper and Row Publishers. Lavelle, P. (1997). Faunal activities and soil processes: adaptive strategies that determine ecosystem function. Advances in Ecological Research, 27, 93-132. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2504(08)60007-0
Levey, D. J., Duncan, R. S., & Levins, C. F. (2004). Use of dung as a tool by burrowing owls. Nature, 431, 39. https://doi.org/10.1038/431039a
Littles, C. J., Williford, D., Skoruppa, M. K., Woodin, M. C., & Hickman, G. C. (2007). Diet of western burrowing owls wintering in southern Texas. Journal of Raptor Research, 41(4), 307-313. https://doi.org/10.3356/0892-1016(2007)41[307:DOWBOW]2.0.CO;2
Lizana-Avia, M., Ciudad-Pizarro, J. M., & Pérez-Mellado, V. (1986). Uso de los recursos tróficos en una comunidad ibérica de anfibios. Revista Española de Herpetología, 1, 209-271.
Loyd, K. A., & Watkins, R. T. (2019). Habitat characteristics and nesting success of the Western burrowing owl in a suburban desert landscape. Arizona Birds, 13, 8-12.
Luque-Fernández, C. R. (2020). Diet and behavior of the burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) in Atiquipa, an ecosystem of Lomas in the south of Peru. Biodiversitas, 21(1), 137-143 https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d210118
MacArthur, R. H., & Levins, R. (1967). The limiting similarity, convergence and divergence of coexisting species. The American Naturalist, 101(921), 337-385. https://doi.org/10.1086/282505
MacMahon, J. A., Mull, J. F., & Crist, T. O. (2000). Harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.): their community and ecosystem influences. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 31(1), 265- 291. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.31.1.265
Marti, C. D., Steenhof, K., Kochert, M. N., & Marks, J. S. (1993). Community trophic structure: the roles of diet, body size, and activity time in vertebrate predators. Oikos, 67(1), 6-18. https://doi.org/10.2307/3545090
Martínez, M., Cruz, R., & Lumaret, J. P. (2000). Efecto del diferente manejo de los pastizales y del ganado sobre los escarabajos coprófagos Ataenius apicalis Hinton y Ataenius sculptor Harold (Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Eupariini). Acta Zoológica Mexicana, 80, 185-196. https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=57508010
Martínez, A. C., & de Brito-Freire, G. (2018). Análise temporal da dieta de Athene cunicularia em Brasília-DF. Pubvet, 12(8), 1-3. https://doi.org/10.31533/pubvet.v12n8a160.1-3
Molinero, L. M. (2003). Análisis de tablas de contingencia de más de 2 variables cualitativas. Asociación de la Sociedad Española de Hipertensión. https://www.alceingenieria.net/bioestadistica/loglinear.pdf Moreno, E. C. (2001). Métodos para medir la biodiversidad. Programa Iberoamericano de Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo.
Palacios, E., Anderson, D. W., Mellink, E., & González-Guzmán, S. (2000). Distribution and abundance of burrowing owls on the peninsula and islands of Baja California. Western Birds, 31(2), 89-99. Patil, G. P., & Taile, C. (1982). Diversity as a concept and its measurement. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 77(379), 548-567. https://doi.org/10.2307/2287709
Plumpton, D. L., & Scott, L. R. (1993). Prey selection and food habits of burrowing owls in Colorado. The Great Basin Naturalist, 53(3), 299-304. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41712786
Poulin, R. G., Todd, L. D., Haug, E. A., Millsap, B. A., & Martell, M. S. (2020). Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), ver. 1.0. Birds of the World. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.burowl.01
Pozo-Zamora, G. M., Brito, J., García, R., Alarcón, I., & Cadena-Ortiz, H. F. (2017). Primeras observaciones de la dieta del Búho Orejicorto Asio flammeus bogotensis (Strigiformes: Strigidae) en Pichincha, Ecuador. Revista Ecuatoriana de Ornitología, 1, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.18272/reo.v0i1.463
Pulido, V., Salinas, L., del Pino, J., & Arana, C. (2021). Revisión del conocimiento actual y conservación de la lechuza de los arenales Athene cunicularia (Molina, 1782) en el Perú. Revista Peruana de Biología, 28(1), e19242. https://doi.org/10.15381/rpb.v28i1.19242
Rafael-Valdez, J. (2018). Ecología del tecolote moteado mexicano (Strix occidentalis lucida) en el centro-norte de la sierra madre occidental, México [Master’s Thesis, Colegio de Postgraduados]. http:// colposdigital.colpos.mx:8080/jspui/handle/10521/3128
Ribic, C. A., Koford, R. R., Herkert, J. R., Johnson, D. H., Niemuth, N. D., Naugle, D. E., Bakker, K. K., Sample, D. W., & Renfrew, R. B. (2009). Area sensitivity in North American grassland birds: Patterns and processes. The Auk, 126(2), 233-244. https://doi.org/10.1525/auk.2009.1409
Rodríguez-Estrella, R. (1997). Nesting sites and feeding habits of the burrowing owl in the Biosphere Reserve of Mapimi, Mexico. Journal of Raptor Research, 9, 99-106.
Ruiz-Aymá, G. R., Olalla-Kerstupp, A., Guzmán-Velasco, A., & GonzálezRojas, J. I. (2019). Diet and prey delivery of burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) during the breeding season in the Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico. Journal of Raptor Research, 53(1), 75-83. https://doi.org/10.3356/JRR-17-90
Schlatter, R., Yañez, J., Nuñez, H., & Jaksic, F. (1982). Estudio estacional de la dieta del pequén, Athene cunicularia (Molina) (Aves, Strigidae) en la Precordillera de Santiago. Medio Ambiente, 6, 9-18. Schmutz, J. K., Wood, G., & Wood, D. (1991). Spring and summer prey of burrowing owls in Alberta. Blue Jay, 49(2), 93-97. https://doi.org/10.29173/bluejay5191
Secretaría del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT). (2010). NOM-059-SEMARNAT: Protección ambiental-especies nativas de México de flora y fauna silvestres-categorías de riesgo y especificaciones para su inclusión, exclusión o cambio lista de especies en riesgo. Diario Oficial de la Federación. 30 diciembre de 2010. https://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle_popup.php?codigo=5173091
Sergio, F., Caro, T., Brown, D., Clucas, B., Hunter, J., Ketchum, J., & Hiraldo, F. (2008). Top Predators as conservation tools: ecological rationale, assumptions, and efficacy. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 39(1), 1-19. https://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/59719/1/annurev.ecolsys.39.110707.pdf
Simpson, E. H. (1949). Measurement of diversity. Nature, 163, 688. https://doi.org/10.1038/163688a0
Soberón, J. (2007). Grinnellian and Eltonian niches and geographic distributions of species. Ecology Letters, 10(12), 1115-1123. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2007.01107.x
Stanton, R. L., Morrissey, C. A., & Clark, R. G. (2018). Analysis of trends and agricultural drivers of farmland bird declines in North America: a review. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 254, 244-254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2017.11.028
Stromborg, K. L. (1986). Reproduction of bobwhites fed different dietary concentrations of an organophosphate insecticide, methamidophos. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 15(2), 143-147. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01059963
Sutherland, W. J. (2000). The conservation Handbook: Research, Management and Policy. Blackwell Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470999356
Toft, C. (1980). Feeding ecology of thirteen syntopic species of anurans in a seasonal tropical environment. Oecologia, 45, 131-141. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00346717
Torres-Contreras, H., & Silva-Aranguiz, E. (1994). Dieta y selectividad de presas de Speotyto cunicularia en una localidad semi-árida del norte de Chile a lo largo de siete años (1987-1993). Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 67, 329-340. https://rchn.biologiachile.cl/pdfs/1994/3/Torres-Contreras_et_al_1994.pdf
Tuomainen, U., & Candolin, U. (2011). Behavioural responses to humaninduced environmental change. Biological Reviews, 86(3), 640- 657. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-185X.2010.00164.x
Velasco-Bautista L., Tarango-Arámbula L., Olmos-Oropeza G., UgaldeLezama S., Martínez-Guerrero J., & Martínez-Montoya J. (2022). Caracterización del hábitat de Athene cunicularia hypugaea (Bonaparte, 1825) en el Centro-Norte de México. Abanico Veterinario, 12, 1-17. http://dx.doi.org/10.21929/abavet2022.27
Vickery, P. D., Tubaro, P. L., Cardosa-da Silva, J. M., Peterjohn, B. G., Herkert, J. R., & Cavalcanti, R. B. (1999). Conservation of grassland birds in the western hemisphere. Studies in Avian Biology, 19, 2-26. https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/SAB_019_1999%20P2-26_Introduction%20Conservation%20of%20Grassland%20Birds%20in%20the%20Western%20Hemisphere_Vickery,%20Tubaro,%20da%20Silva,%20Peterson,%20Herkert,%20Cavalcanti.pdf
Vieira, L. A., & Teixeira R. L. (2008). Diet of Athene cunicularia (Molina, 1782) from a sandy coastal plain in southeast Brazil. Boletim do Museu de Biologia Mello Leitão, 23, 5-14. http://boletim.sambio.org.br/pdf/23_01.pdf
Wellicome, T. I. (2000). Effects of food on reproduction in burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) during three stages of the breeding season [Thesis Ph. D. University of Alberta]. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape2/PQDD_0010/NQ60040.pdf
Woodin, M. C., Skoruppa, M. K., & Hickman, G. C. (2007). Winter ecology of the Western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) in Southern Texas 1999–2004. Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi
York, M. M., Rosenberg, D. K., & Sturm, K. K. (2002). Diet and foodniche breadth of burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) in the Imperial Valley, California. Western North American Naturalist, 62(3), 280-287. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan/vol62/iss3/3
Zunino, S., & Jofre, C. (1999). Dieta de Athene cunicularia en Isla Choros, Reserva Nacional Pingüino de Humboldt, IV Región. Boletín Chileno de Ornitología, 6, 2-7. https://www.aveschile.cl/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/2-7-bco-1999-szunino-dietapequen-ichoros.pdf
Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial 4.0.
Derechos de autor 2025 Revista Chapingo Serie Zonas Áridas