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Diet of Breeding Eurasian Sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus) in Relation to Land Cover, Food Supply, and Prey Species Characteristics in Central Europe.

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Title: Diet of Breeding Eurasian Sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus) in Relation to Land Cover, Food Supply, and Prey Species Characteristics in Central Europe.
Authors: Dvořák, Tomáš1,2 (AUTHOR) tommasd@seznam.cz, Riegert, Jan3 (AUTHOR)
Source: Population Ecology. Apr2026, Vol. 68 Issue 2, p1-13. 13p.
Subject Terms: *Diet, *Land cover, *Prey availability, *Birds of prey, *Food supply
Geographic Terms: Czech Republic, Central Europe
Abstract: Diet composition of different populations of the same raptor species may differ according to the structure of local food supply. Moreover, some prey species may be preferred more than others following raptors' prey selection. This study aimed to describe diet composition of breeding Eurasian sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus) in relation to land cover and food supply, and to test the effect of several prey species characteristics on sparrowhawks' prey selection in a Central European rural area (Czech Republic). Data on the sparrowhawks' diet were gathered in the vicinity of their nests (a total of 1107 prey items from the surroundings of 62 nests). The structure of food supply within sparrowhawks' assumed hunting areas was estimated. Sparrowhawks' diet composition was compared with the structure of land cover and with the food supply in their hunting areas. The effect of prey species characteristics on their vulnerability to sparrowhawk predation was tested. The diet consisted almost exclusively of birds, and the diet composition was affected by the structure of land cover around the sparrowhawks' nests. Some prey species were more preferred than others. Intermediate body mass, lower population density, and brighter plumage colouration of prey species were associated with increased vulnerability to sparrowhawk predation. These results suggest that sparrowhawks specialize in hunting birds, but they can hunt a wide variety of available bird species. Their diet composition may be based on habitat structure in their hunting areas, and some prey species may be more preferred than others depending on their specific set of characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Database: Energy & Power Source
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DbLabel: Energy & Power Source
An: 193259425
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
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Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Diet of Breeding Eurasian Sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus) in Relation to Land Cover, Food Supply, and Prey Species Characteristics in Central Europe.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dvořák%2C+Tomáš%22">Dvořák, Tomáš</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> tommasd@seznam.cz</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Riegert%2C+Jan%22">Riegert, Jan</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
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  Label: Source
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Population+Ecology%22">Population Ecology</searchLink>. Apr2026, Vol. 68 Issue 2, p1-13. 13p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subject Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Diet%22">Diet</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Land+cover%22">Land cover</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prey+availability%22">Prey availability</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Birds+of+prey%22">Birds of prey</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Food+supply%22">Food supply</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectGeographic
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Czech+Republic%22">Czech Republic</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Central+Europe%22">Central Europe</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Diet composition of different populations of the same raptor species may differ according to the structure of local food supply. Moreover, some prey species may be preferred more than others following raptors' prey selection. This study aimed to describe diet composition of breeding Eurasian sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus) in relation to land cover and food supply, and to test the effect of several prey species characteristics on sparrowhawks' prey selection in a Central European rural area (Czech Republic). Data on the sparrowhawks' diet were gathered in the vicinity of their nests (a total of 1107 prey items from the surroundings of 62 nests). The structure of food supply within sparrowhawks' assumed hunting areas was estimated. Sparrowhawks' diet composition was compared with the structure of land cover and with the food supply in their hunting areas. The effect of prey species characteristics on their vulnerability to sparrowhawk predation was tested. The diet consisted almost exclusively of birds, and the diet composition was affected by the structure of land cover around the sparrowhawks' nests. Some prey species were more preferred than others. Intermediate body mass, lower population density, and brighter plumage colouration of prey species were associated with increased vulnerability to sparrowhawk predation. These results suggest that sparrowhawks specialize in hunting birds, but they can hunt a wide variety of available bird species. Their diet composition may be based on habitat structure in their hunting areas, and some prey species may be more preferred than others depending on their specific set of characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=enr&AN=193259425
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1002/1438-390x.70021
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 13
        StartPage: 1
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Diet
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Land cover
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Prey availability
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Birds of prey
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Food supply
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Czech Republic
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Central Europe
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Diet of Breeding Eurasian Sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus) in Relation to Land Cover, Food Supply, and Prey Species Characteristics in Central Europe.
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            NameFull: Dvořák, Tomáš
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          Name:
            NameFull: Riegert, Jan
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            – D: 01
              M: 04
              Text: Apr2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 14383896
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              Value: 68
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              Value: 2
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Population Ecology
              Type: main
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