**3. Bat prey species**

**Bat species Weight of the bat species in g No of owl species as** 

2 Bats

*Pipistrellus pygmaeus* 5.1 1/8 0.26 *P.pygmaeus* or *P.pipistrellus* 5.3 1/8 0.19 *Pipistrellus pipistrellus* 5.5 6/8 16.02 *Myotis mystacinus* 6.1 7/8 1.51 *Myotis brandtii* 6.5 3/8 0.87 *Pipistrellus abramus* 6.5 2/8 3.41 *Murina huttoni* 6.7 1/8 0.01 *Rhinolophus hipposideros* 6.9 4/8 1.07 *Pipistrellus* sp. 6.9 5/8 1.57 *Murina hilgendorfi* 7.0 1/8 0.02 *Pipistrellus kuhlii* 7.3 4/8 11.85 *Hypsugo savii* 7.5 3/8 0.10 *Asellia tridens* 8.0 3/8 0.27 *Myotis nattereri* 8.3 6/8 3.18 *Myotis emarginatus* 8.7 3/8 0.52 *Myotis capaccinii* 8.8 2/8 0.19 *Plecotus auritus* 9.3 6/8 3.19 *Myotis petax* 9.5 1/8 0.01 *Myotis annectans* 9.7 1/8 0.01 *Barbastella barbastellus* 9.7 3/8 2.46 *Plecotus* sp. 9.8 3/8 0.25 *Rhinopoma microphyllum* 10.0 2/8 0.05 *Pipistrellus nathusii* 10.2 4/8 0.82 *Myotis bechsteinii* 10.2 4/8 0.87 *Plecotus austriacus* 10.3 3/8 1.52 *Myotis daubentonii* 10.9 5/8 1.17 *Nycteris thebaica* 11.5 1/8 0.02 *Eptesicus nilssoni* 11.6 6/8 0.48 *Miniopterus schreibersii* 11.9 4/8 0.50 *Myotis* sp. 12.1 5/8 1.40 *Rhinolophus blasii* 12.5 1/8 0.02 *Rhinolophus eyryale* 12.9 3/8 0.27 *Myotis dasycneme* 13.2 2/8 0.25

**predators**

**Percentage of the Total**

Most commonly owls are taking *Pipistrellus pipistrellus* (16.0%), *Myotis myotis* (15.2%), *Pipistrellus kuhlii* (11.9%), *Vespertilio murinus* (9.8%), *Nyctalus noctula* (9.1%), and *Eptesicus serotinus* (7.3%), that is, six most eaten species make 70% of the material. All these mostly eaten

an interesting observation on a Tawny Owl trying to catch *Nyctalus noctula* in the air but the bat "hid in the predator's shadow" by flying very close behind it and waiting until the owl gave up hunting. Finally, the bat flew away safely after the owl ceased searching for the lost prey [14].

Introductory Chapter: Bats Eaten by Owls http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.76099 5

It is safe to conclude that owls prey on bats rarely and opportunistically, but also that bat aggregations could be a locally important food source for some species and individual owls during certain periods. Also, the decrease in the main prey (rodent) abundance can lead owls

Further work is needed to evaluate the possible effects of owl predation on bat populations, and to determine the ecological and environmental dynamics between owl species and their main prey species. Owl predation on bats deserves future research also because on one hand, it might contribute to our limited knowledge on bats biodiversity and distribution, while on the other hand, it can sometimes represent an additional risk for small populations of endangered bats.

[1] Sieradzki A, Mikkola H. A review of European owls as predators of bats. MS for Ibis

[2] Van Den Brink FH. A Field Guide to the Mammals of Britain and Europe. London:

[3] Pérez-Barbería FJ. Patrones de Predacíon de la Lechuza Común (*Tyto alba*) sobre Murciélagos (*Chiroptera*): Especializacíon u oportunismo? Revista de Biologia de la Universidad

[4] Stuart C, Stuart T. Field Guide to the Mammals of Southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik

[6] Lindhe Norberg UM, Norberg RÅ. Scaling of wingbeat frequency with body mass in bats and limits to maximum bat sizes. The Journal of Experimental Biology. 2012;**215**:711-722

[5] Rydell J, Bogdanowicz W. Barbastella barbastellus. Mammalian Species. 1997;**557**:1-8

**6. Conclusion**

**Author details**

Heimo Mikkola

**References**

to expand their diet and include bats.

Address all correspondence to: heimomikkola@yahoo.co.uk

University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland

(under revision). 2018

de Oviedo. 1990;**8**:99-105

Collins; 1973

Publishers; 1995

**Figure 1.** Eagle Owl has brought to its nest a *Rousettus aegyptiacus ♀* with a sucking baby still alive when photo was taken in 2008. Courtesy of Ezra Hadad/prof. Motti Charter, Haifa, Israel.

bats weigh less than 33 g (**Table 1**). Rest of the numerous species represents less than 5% of each of this material, and bats heavier than 33 g represent only 0.6% of this material. None of the bat species are eaten by all eight European owl species but *Myotis mystacinus* is in the diet of seven out of eight owls, when *P. pipistrellus, M. myotis, M. nattereri, Eptesicus nilssoni* and *Plecotus auratus* are the prey of six owl species (**Table 1**). The heaviest bat species eaten by two owl species is 135 g weighing *Rousettus aegyptiacus* which is illustrated in **Figure 1** as a prey of the Eagle Owl.
