Branta Issues > Issue №4 (2001)

Trophic links of Raven in the Dnieper forest-steppe region.

Ignatenko A.I., Volokh A.M.

As a result of analysis of feeding lumps of Raven more than 2000 components of 75 denominations were discovered. Rodents composite the base of birds’ forage. There were registered 70% of them. Among them Common vole (40.5%) and Common field mouse (9.2%) dominated. In winter and more rarely in other seasons сarrion had a significant value (27.7%). Birds from Gallidae, Rallidae, Corvidae, Fringillidae, Ploceidae families wereless important (their share in the diet did not exceed 8%) as well as amphibians with reptiles (0.4 %) and fishes (1.7%). Everywhere there were a great number of egg’s shell (more than 20%), found by Ravens on dumps. Insects in the Raven diet were presented by Coleoptera: Carabidae, Dytiscidae, Silphidae, Lucanidae, Scarabaeidae, Dermestidae, Cerambicidae, Curculionidae, Staphilinidae, where Melolonta melolonta dominated. Molluscs shells were very rare (1.4%) in feeding lumps. The essential component in the Raven diet was cereal grasses (3.6%). Comparative analysis of trophic links of Raven in different landscapes did not show any significant differences in domination of principal groups of food and components.