prey genera in these years, averaging 19.4% by number and 23.6% of the biomass. In Värmland County, Sweden, birds amounted to 25.6% of the prey by number and 32.67% of the biomass. A wide diversity of birds were reported, thrushes being again the most often identified. For central and southern Europe, the reintroduced population of the Bavarian Forest of Germany may show the highest results for birds at merely 11.1%. However, in the diet study within in the city of Košice, Slovakia, urban-adapted Ural owls were found to be relying almost solely on pigeons and doves for foods, namely the Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) and the rock pigeon (Columba livia) which constituted 76.7% and 13.4% of the contents of 16 pellets, respectively. In Russia, birds were far more significant overall in the Urals over other known studies, amounting to 17.01% of the 870 total prey items across different years and 47.6% among 146 prey items more locally near towns and villages in Perm Krai. In Japan, birds are somewhat more prominent in the diet of Ural owls compared to European data, usually compromising over 10% of the foods. The most birds reported in the diet of Japanese Ural owls were from 36 pellets found in Sakaide, Kagawa, which mainly comprised small birds, in particular the Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus) (at 78.6% by number) and the white-cheeked starling (Spodiopsar cineraceus) (3.6%). The hunting of birds by the Ural owl seems almost entirely based on opportunity as there is little evidence that they track down birds of any particular type, just merely upon the chance of encounter or detection. Thrushes are probably taken in many parts of the range due to their relative commonality in the habitat types used by Ural owls while other passerines that are widely taken also often have similar habitat preferences such as Old World flycatchers, finches and tits. Most passerines, and indeed most identified birds overall, are in between the size of a chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), at a mean weight of and a Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius), at a mean weight of . Bird prey may occasionally range down to the size of the goldcrest (Regulus regulus), which is Europe’s smallest bird species. The mean estimated weight of birds taken in Finland was estimated at , being slightly higher than the weight estimated of mammals taken there. A diversity of corvids may be taken, ranging