eWestern Birds
The Quarterly Journal of Western Field Ornithologists
Results of a Pilot Study Monitoring Northern Saw-Whet Owl Migration in Central Alberta, Canada
Chuck Priestley and Lisa Priestley
ABSTRACT: We initiated monitoring of Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) migration by mist-netting at Beaverhill Lake Natural Area, Alberta, Canada, with a part-time effort in 1997, 2000, and 2001. On the basis of positive results in those years we expanded the study to nightly netting following a standardized protocol in fall 2002 and 2003. Those years yielded 145 and 151 owls captured, respectively. First-year owls represented 68.7% of captures, and females represented 73.8% of captures (two-year mean). Migration began on 18 August, peaked on 3 October, and ended 11 November. Ninety-five percent of the owls were captured between 9 September and 4 November. There were three recaptures within a year and no recaptures in subsequent years./p>
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