Absence of differential predation on rats by Malaysian Barn Owls in oil palm plantations
Barn Owls (Tyto alba javanica) have been widely introduced in Malaysian oil palm plantations to control rodent pests. However, their effectiveness in regulating rodent populations is unknown. We investigated whether Barn Owls selected prey with respect to size and sex classes based on data from 128...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Raptor Research Foundation
2011
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/23884/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/23884/1/23884.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848844882732384256 |
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| author | Puan, Chong Leong Goldizen, Anne W. Hussin, Mohamed Zakaria Mohd Noor, Hafidzi Baxter, Greg S. |
| author_facet | Puan, Chong Leong Goldizen, Anne W. Hussin, Mohamed Zakaria Mohd Noor, Hafidzi Baxter, Greg S. |
| author_sort | Puan, Chong Leong |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Barn Owls (Tyto alba javanica) have been widely introduced in Malaysian oil palm plantations to control rodent pests. However, their effectiveness in regulating rodent populations is unknown. We investigated whether Barn Owls selected prey with respect to size and sex classes based on data from 128 pellets of Barn Owls compared to 1292 live-trapped rats in an oil palm plantation in Malaysia. The birds mostly fed on Rattus rattus diardii, the most commonly trapped species. Body mass of prey consumed was predicted based on models derived from measurements from trapped rats. Sex of prey was determined by pelvic measurements with reference to those taken from specimens of known gender. There was no clear selection of prey by Barn Owls in relation to size or sex of prey, and no difference in the body mass of prey between the owls' breeding and nonbreeding seasons. The absence of differential predation in Barn Owls may partly explain the lack of clear evidence that they regulate rodent populations and thus act as successful biological control agents. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T08:37:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-23884 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T08:37:59Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| publisher | Raptor Research Foundation |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-238842017-11-09T03:23:39Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/23884/ Absence of differential predation on rats by Malaysian Barn Owls in oil palm plantations Puan, Chong Leong Goldizen, Anne W. Hussin, Mohamed Zakaria Mohd Noor, Hafidzi Baxter, Greg S. Barn Owls (Tyto alba javanica) have been widely introduced in Malaysian oil palm plantations to control rodent pests. However, their effectiveness in regulating rodent populations is unknown. We investigated whether Barn Owls selected prey with respect to size and sex classes based on data from 128 pellets of Barn Owls compared to 1292 live-trapped rats in an oil palm plantation in Malaysia. The birds mostly fed on Rattus rattus diardii, the most commonly trapped species. Body mass of prey consumed was predicted based on models derived from measurements from trapped rats. Sex of prey was determined by pelvic measurements with reference to those taken from specimens of known gender. There was no clear selection of prey by Barn Owls in relation to size or sex of prey, and no difference in the body mass of prey between the owls' breeding and nonbreeding seasons. The absence of differential predation in Barn Owls may partly explain the lack of clear evidence that they regulate rodent populations and thus act as successful biological control agents. Raptor Research Foundation 2011 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/23884/1/23884.pdf Puan, Chong Leong and Goldizen, Anne W. and Hussin, Mohamed Zakaria and Mohd Noor, Hafidzi and Baxter, Greg S. (2011) Absence of differential predation on rats by Malaysian Barn Owls in oil palm plantations. Journal of Raptor Research, 45 (1). pp. 71-78. ISSN 0892-1016; ESSN: 2162-4569 http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.3356/JRR-10-18.1 10.3356/JRR-10-18.1 |
| spellingShingle | Puan, Chong Leong Goldizen, Anne W. Hussin, Mohamed Zakaria Mohd Noor, Hafidzi Baxter, Greg S. Absence of differential predation on rats by Malaysian Barn Owls in oil palm plantations |
| title | Absence of differential predation on rats by Malaysian Barn Owls in oil palm plantations |
| title_full | Absence of differential predation on rats by Malaysian Barn Owls in oil palm plantations |
| title_fullStr | Absence of differential predation on rats by Malaysian Barn Owls in oil palm plantations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Absence of differential predation on rats by Malaysian Barn Owls in oil palm plantations |
| title_short | Absence of differential predation on rats by Malaysian Barn Owls in oil palm plantations |
| title_sort | absence of differential predation on rats by malaysian barn owls in oil palm plantations |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/23884/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/23884/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/23884/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/23884/1/23884.pdf |