**4. Discussion**

Food items of Pygmy Owl, collected in years 2010–2014, including three nests from Volovské mountains, from elevations 840–1040 m a.s.l. (Kojšovská hoľa, Tupý vrch, Starovodská valley) were evaluated [20]. Food items from these 3 nests contained remains of 43 specimens of 6 mammal species and 97 specimens of 22 bird species (**Annex 1**). Surroundings of the nest in Starovodská valley are shown in **Figures 11**–**13**. Food analysis from 2 nests of Pygmy Owl was earlier realised also exactly at the site Bankov – Kamenný hrb from years 1989–1993 [13] and food supply contained several species of small forest mammals and Passerines. These data support an assumption, that local decline of the Pygmy Owl at observed study site Bankov-Kamenný hrb was not caused by food shortage. Even habitat quality did not change considerably during that 30 year period, apart from the fact, that the forest gained 30 years of its mature age. On the other hand, good populations of small mammals in the forest and open habitats (meadows, clear-cuts), able to maintain good and stable populations of Ural Owls could possibly attract some Boreal Owls to as low areas as that site, to lowest known elevation limit of the species in Slovakia.

Density estimates of owls for Volovské mountains are actually being evaluated and an extensive monitoring scheme was realised in year 2021 to get population data for all 4 species from different sites of the range in its highest elevations over 700 m (700–1300 m a.s.l.); the results will soon be published. Could be assumed, that if Boreal Owls tend to move from highly degraded spruce forests at the ridge of Volovské mountains to lower elevations (e.g., Kamenný hrb area in 400–600 m elevation), some Pygmy Owl populations will also follow this trend. Occurrence of the species and even temporary breeding attempts in the Aggtelek Karst in Hungary with first breeding record of Pygmy Owl for Hungary [21] could be an example of that kind of process because Aggtelek karst is situated only 13 km from Southern edge of Volovské mountains and both ranges are interconnected through forested plateaus of the Slovak karst with patches of conifers (and with occurrence of Pygmy Owls in these patches of conifers).
