Pakistan J. Zool., vol. 46(4), pp. 1013-1022, 2014. Dietary Distinctive Features of Tawny Owl, Strix aluco (Linn 1758) and Barn Owl, Tyto alba (Scopoli 1759) in Gardens of Algerian Sahel, El Harrach, Jardin D’essai Du Hamma Saida Tergou, 1 * Mohamed Boukhemza, 2 Faiza Marniche, 3 Amel Milla 3 and Salaheddine Doumandji 1 1 Department of Agricultural and Forest Zoology, Agronomic National School Superior of El Harrach, Algeria 2 University Mouloud Mammeri Tizi Ouzou, Algeria 3 National School Superior of Veterinary, El Harrach, Algiers, Algeria Abstract.- Diet of tawny owl Strix aluco was studied in gardens of National Agronomical Institute of El Harrach during 1996 and 1997, and that of barn owl Tyto alba in Jardin d’Essai of Hamma in 1997. In total 601 regurgitated pellets, 527 of tawny owl and 74 of barn owl, were analyzed. Five types of prey items included: arthropods, amphibians, reptiles, birds and small mammals. Birds were consumed the most (37.8%) by tawny owl, and the amphibians (37.5%) by the barn owl. Common wall gecko or moorish gecko. Tarentola mauritanica (16.8%) was the most frequently preyed by tawny owl and Mediterranean painted frog, Discoglosssus pictus (34.9%) by barn owl. Key words: Tawny, owl Strix aluco, barn owl, Tyto alba, regurgitated pellets. INTRODUCTION Diet of birds of prey has been extensively investigated throughout Europe. Diet of barn owl Tyto alba (Scopoli; 1769) and tawny owl, Strix aluco Linn. has been studied in the wild by Guerin (1932), Baudvin (1983), Henry and Perthuis (1986), Sorgo (1992). Diet of barn owl has been the object of several studies throughout the world including Algeria viz., Gubany et al. (1992) in western Nebraska; Sahores and Trejo (2004) near Patagonia (Argentine); Littles et al. (2007) in South of Texas and Platt et al. (2009) in North of Belize, Central America. In Algeria diet of barn owl has been reported by Ochando (1985), Boukhemza (1989) in Plateau de Belfort, Baziz et al. (2000, 1997, 2001) and Sekour et al. (2003, 2010) in Les Hauts Plateaux. Rodents are the main prey of barn owl in Ain Oussera (Hamani et al., 1997) as reported by Baziz et al. (2000) from areas near Boughzoul’s dam to the extent of 63.8% of the diet, and by Benbouzid et al. (2000) and Sekour et al. (2002) from natural reserve of Mergueb to the extent of 85.3% of the diet. Aulagnier et al. (1999) reported that diet of barn owl in Morocco mostly included _____________________________ * Corresponding author: tergoulina@yahoo.com 0030-9923/2014/0004-1013 $ 8.00/0 Copyright 2014 Zoological Society of Pakistan small mammals like Mus spretus, Gerbillus campestris and Gerbillus magrebi. In Yahmoll North of Syria the barn owl widely selected small mammals like Microtus socialis and Mus musculus (Shehab and Al Charabi, 2006). Diet of tawny owl has been sparsely studied (Doumandji et al., 1994, 1997; Tergou et al., 1997, Idouhar Saadi, 2002). Hamdine et al. (1999) have compared the diets from areas in El Harrach and Boukhalfa. However, important aspects remain still under darkness. The present study was aimed at studying the diet of two nocturnal birds of prey in two suburban environments next to each other; and makes an inventory of the micro fauna of the two regions. Algiers Sahel of the Algiers region (36°36’ to 36°46’ N, 2°24’ to 3° 20’E) comprises of the hills range that separates the western part of Mediterranean Mitidja plain (Glangeaud, 1932). The first study site 36°43’N and 3° 08’ E is a park situated in El Harrach region, a suburban environment between Plateau de Belfort (Hacen Badi) and the Eastern part of Mitidja. The site is situated at 50 m altitude and spreads about 16 ha including 10 ha area in the Northern part and six (6) acres in the south occupied by pedagogic buildings spread and alternated with green areas, including lawns and green areas planted with trees (ash Fraxinus excelsior, eucalyptus Eucalyptus