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- Title
HOME RANGE CHARACTERISTICS OF MEXICAN SPOTTED OWLS IN THE RINCON MOUNTAINS, ARIZONA.
- Authors
WILLEY, DAVID W.; VAN RIPER III, CHARLES
- Abstract
We studied a small isolated population of Mexican Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis lucida) from 1996-1997 in the Rincon Mountains of Saguaro National Park, southeastern Arizona, USA. All mixed-conifer and pine-oak forest patches in the park were surveyed for Spotted Owls, and we located, captured, and radio-tagged 10 adult birds representing five mated pairs. Using radio-telemetry, we examined owl home range characteristics, roost habitat, and monitored reproduction within these five territories. Breeding season (Mar-Sep) home range size for 10 adult owls (95% adaptive kernel isopleths) averaged 267 ha (6207 SD), and varied widely among owls (range 34-652 ha). Mean home range size for owl pairs was 478 ha (6417 ha SD), and ranged from 70-1,160 ha. Owls that produced young used smaller home ranges than owls that had no young. Six habitat variables differed significantly between roost and random sites, including: percent canopy cover, number of trees, number of vegetation layers, average height of trees, average diameter of trees, and tree basal area. Radio-marked owls remained in their territories following small prescribed management fires within those territories, exhibiting no proximate effects to the presence of prescribed fire.
- Subjects
RINCON Mountains (Ariz.); MEXICAN spotted owl; BIRD habitats; HOME range (Animal geography); SAGUARO National Park (Ariz.); ANIMAL radio tracking; HABITATS
- Publication
Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 2014, Vol 126, Issue 1, p53
- ISSN
1559-4491
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1676/13-029.1