Feeding habits of three sympatric owl species in a coastal woodland of central Italy (Migliarino-S. Rossore, province of Pisa) were investigated by using the pellet analysis method. The prey availability in the field was also investigated by means of two live-trapping sessions carried out in three different habitats. S. aluco preyed almost entirely upon medium and large sized rodents, and the size of its mean prey was significantly higher than that of A. otus and T. alba. The diets of A. otus and T. alba appeared quite similar, but the former was highly specialised in preying upon small rodents, whereas the latter fed upon shrews as well as rodents. Live-trapping sessions showed that Microtus savii was the prey species most abundant in the open areas, while Apodemus sp. — in the wooded and bushy ecotonal areas. Principal component analysis suggesting that A. otus was more linked to open fields as foraging habitat, while diet of T. alba was more similar to small mammal assemblages in ecotonal areas. The diet of S. aluco was not associated with any given habitat, probably because its favourite prey (Rattus rattus) is a semi- arboreal rodent.
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