Diet preferences of Barn Owl, Tyto Alba Javanica in captivity (aviary)

Abstract

Malaysian Barn Owl, Tyto Alba Javanica are predatory bird species that selectively hunts for small mammals especially Rodent species. Due to predator-prey relationship between Barn owls and rodents, they are conserved and utilized as biological control agent for Rodent pests in agricultural plantations and urban areas throughout Malaysia. Barns Owls have been translocated between different locations to be introduced as biological agents but they are usually kept in captivity for health checks and acclimatization prior to their translocation. Barn Owls also hunt effectively to ensure that their daily energy requirement is fulfilled. As a result, feeding behavior and diet preference of Tyto Alba Javanica in captivity has to be studied to gain further understanding about this species and orientate with their conservation in Malaysia. In this study, Barn Owls have been acclimatizing and adapting well to their new surrounding by altering their behavior to improve their energy expenditure. For diet preference, Barn Owls showed greatest preferences towards medium sized rats (100g — 200g) with mean frequency ± standard error of 5.50 ± 0.43, followed by small sized rats (<100g) with mean frequency ± standard error of 3.33 ± 0.56 and finally the least preferences towards big sized rats (>200 g) with mean frequency ± standard error of 1.17 ± 0.31. While maintaining rat sizes at medium sizes, Barn Owls showed no significant preferences towards rat species, Bandicota Bengalensis, Rattus Rattus Diardii, and Rattus Norvegicus that were involved in this study with mean frequency ± standard error of 3.00 ± 0.26, 3.17 ± 0.31 and 3.83 ± 0.45 respectively.