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- Title
LARGE-SCALE MOVEMENT AND MIGRATION OF NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.
- Authors
BECKETT, SEAN R.; PROUDFOOT, GLENN A.
- Abstract
We used information compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey's Bird Banding Laboratory and geographic information systems (GIS) analysis to identify trends in annual Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) movement across eastern North America. Analysis of 81,584 Northern Saw-whet Owl banding events revealed a southbound annual fall migration front with peak banding activity occurring progressively later in the season as latitude decreases. Northbound owls comprised <9% of owls banded and recaptured elsewhere in the same season, and <5% were recaptured northbound > 100 km from banding location. There was no relationship between banding latitude and adult-to-juvenile ratio. However, the proportion of adults versus juveniles banded was not uniform among banding stations, suggesting age-differentiated migration patterns may exist. Information from multiyear foreign recaptures revealed that 72% of owls banded and subsequently recaptured at the same latitude in different years were recaptured < 100 km from banding location. A similar trend was found in the Appalachian Mountains, the Great Lakes Basin, and the Atlantic seaboard. This indicates that Northern Saw-whet Owls may exhibit high migration route fidelity. These findings expand the Northern Saw-whet Owl information portfolio and illustrate the versatility of aggregate data sets as a tool for answering large-scale questions regarding migration.
- Subjects
UNITED States; GEOLOGICAL Survey (U.S.); GEOGRAPHIC information systems; OWLS; BIRDS
- Publication
Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 2011, Vol 123, Issue 3, p521
- ISSN
1559-4491
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1676/10-130.1