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The present study gives an overview of the importance of birds as food resource of the Northern Long-eared Owl and analyses by which factors the proportion of birds as prey is affected. Data basis for this are 1520 lists of prey found in literature from all over the geographic range of the Long-eared Owl. Birds account for only 2,9 % of all vertebrate-prey, but occur in 88,5 % of all lists of prey. The percentages of birds in prey lists differ strongly between regions. The highest proportions of birds are found in the Middle East and North Africa, Asia, as well as Southern Europe, while low bird proportions are seen in Southeast Europe, Northern Europe, and North America. In prey lists from Europe, the share of voles of the genus Microtus has an essential effect on the proportion of birds as prey. In Northern Europe, Southeast Europe, and Asia, the proportion of birds as prey varies between summer and winter. In Central Europe, the percentage of birds as prey has been constantly decreasing since the 1940s. Worldwide, at least 244 bird species from 13 orders have been recorded as prey of the Long-eared Owl. The House Sparrow is the most common bird prey species, followed by Eurasian Tree Sparrow and European Greenfinch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]