Comparación de la dieta de búhos en ambientes silvestres y urbanos en Santa Elena mediante análisis de egagrópilas

Abstract

Urbanization transforms natural ecosystems and alters the ecological function of top predators. This project aims to analyze the diet of owls in rural and urban environments of Santa Elena canton through the study of pellets, under the hypothesis that the degree of urbanization influences the trophic composition of the species. The research is justified by the need to understand how human-driven habitat changes affect the role of owls as biological controllers and to provide useful information for local conservation. A total of 45 pellets were collected and processed: 21 in Colonche (rural) and 24 in Villa Marina (urban). The study included environmental permits, field sampling, camera trap installation, laboratory processing, taxonomic identification of bone and insect remains, and the application of diversity indices (Shannon and Pielou). Results showed that in rural areas the diet was dominated by wild insects, rodents, and reptiles, whereas in urban areas it was mostly composed of synanthropic insects such as cockroaches and moths. Urban environments exhibited greater taxonomic richness but lower biomass contribution. It is concluded that owl diet is modulated by urbanization, which ensures their adaptation but limits their ecological function as regulators of small mammal populations. Keywords: trophic ecology, biodiversity, adaptation, urban wildlife, environmental management.