OwlMonitoringandDistributionin

ShortHillsProvincialPark

Photocredit:allaboutbirds.org

SubmittedinfulfilmentofthecourserequirementsforWildSpecies
Management

April2016
AlexMeeker,MeredithMeeker,andJakeWatson

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

TableofContents

ExecutiveSummary
Purpose
ShortHillsProvincialParkHistoryandNaturalLandscape
ResearchDesign
EquipmentandDataCollectionProcess
Equipment
DataCollectionProcess
AlterationstotheDataCollectionProcess
Results
Discussion
ProjectLimitations
A.Weather
B.Equipment
C.Limitedamountsoftime
D.Limitedaccuracyofowldetection
RecommendationsfornextyearsOwlprojects
A.Obtainresearchpermitearly
B.Beginthegroundtruthingprocessearlieron
C.Obtainweatherproofrecordingunit
RecommendationsforOntarioParksandFriendsofShortHills
A.NestBoxes
B.OwlProwlsascommunityoutreach
Conclusion
Citations
Appendices
ResultsTables
EcologicalLandClassificationFieldSheets
OwlSpeciesProfiles
GreatHornedOwlBubovirginianus
BarredOwlStrixvaria
EasternScreechOwlMegascopsasio
LongEaredOwlAsiootus
ShortEaredOwl
NorthernSawWhetOwlAegoliusacadicus

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

ExecutiveSummary

2
ShortHillsProvincialParkhasanareaof6.6
km
andcanbeconsideredacrucialareaof
naturalrefugiaintheurbanandresidentiallandscapeofSt.Catharines.Witharelativelylarge
areaofundisturbedforest,withtheexceptionoftherecreationaltrails,itwasofinterestto
determinethepresenceanddistributionofowlspecieswithintheparksboundaries.Owlsare
apexpredators,makingthemespeciallysusceptibletodisturbanceswithintheirecosystems
suchastoxinsandhabitatloss.Assuch,theyareexcellentindicatorsofenvironmentalhealth.

Inpreparationfordatacollectiontheparkwasdividedinto12transectsof600mby600masa
wayofensuringthattheparkwassampledevenlyandwithoutbias.Asthefirststageofdata
collection,theresearchteamvisitedthecentralpointofeachofthesetransectswherethey
collectedhabitatanddisturbanceinformation.Thesecondstageofdatacollectionconsistedof
returningtoeachofthesitesatnighttoconductaudiobroadcastsofeachofthefiveowl
speciesthatwerebelievedtobeintheparkbasedonnaturalrange.Thestudentresearch
teamwassuccessfulindetectingowlvocalizationsatsixofthetensitevisits,acombinationof
GreatHornedOwlandEasternScreechOwlencounters.

Thevariabledistributionoftheaudioowlencounterswithintheparkdidnotappeartofollowa
particularpatterngeographically,however,thiswouldmakesensebasedonthehabitat
requirementsoftheowlspeciesthatweredetectedbothofthembeinghabitatgeneralists
relativetothenicherequirementsoftheremainingandabsentowlspecies.Basedonthis
informationitcanbeconcludedthatShortHillsdoesprovideacriticalrefugiaforowlsandits
managementteamshouldcontinuetomonitortheirpresenceaswellaspotentiallyinvolvingthe
publicasfutureoutreachinitiatives.

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

Purpose
To determine whether ecosite types within Short Hills Provincial Park influence the distribution
of owl nesting sites and to determine if the distribution of the different species affects nesting
siteselection.

ShortHillsProvincialParkHistoryandNaturalLandscape

Short Hills Provincial Park was established in1985butbefore thatishasalonghistoryofbeing

settled. The earliest record of theareabeingsettledisfrom12000yearsagoduringtheArchaic
Period (Friends of Short Hills, 2016). It was more recently settled by the Neutral Indians
(Iroquois) about 400 years ago (Friends of Short Hills, 2016). Then the settlerscameandwere
attracted to the areas vast amount of resources including the wood,riversandproductivesoils
(Friends of Short Hills, 2016). Much of the area was cleared to make room for orchards and
other agricultural pursuits (Friends of Short Hills, 2016). Throughout the park you can still see
some of the historic structures and the legacy of settlement still affect the natural areas within
thepark.
There are large parts of the park that are still full of young treesandsuccessionalspecies.Itis
part of the Carolinian Zone however since many of species are just reestablishing and due to
the agricultural history almost half of the species found in the park are considered exotic
(Friends of Short Hills, 2016). The farmers also altered Twelve Mile Creek which runs through
mostofthepark.Thishasledtoanadjustingriverandunstablebankvegetation.
The landscape varies greatlythroughouttheparktoday.Onceintheparkitiseasytoseewhyit
hasbeenaptlynamedShortHills.Theparkisfilledwithvalleysandmanyslopes.
There are manydifferentfaunaspeciesknowntoresidewithintheparkboundaries.Whitetailed
deer have become a nuisance within the park, over grazing almost all new deciduous growth.
There are many rodent and songbird species which are important food sources for owls. Then
perhapsmostrelevanttoourstudygreathornedowlsarealreadyknowntonestthere.

ResearchDesign

Relatively little is known about nocturnal owl species in North America. One ofthereasonsfor
these datagapsstemsfromtherealitythattheaveragebirdsurveys(e.g.ChristmasBirdCount,

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

Backyard Bird Survey) are mosttypicallycarried outduringthedaywhennocturnalowlsarenot

active. The selection of the methodology for this researchprojectwasformedmoststronglyby
the protocols that are implemented through the Ontario Nocturnal Owl Survey asdelineatedby
Bird Studies Canada. However, because Bird Studies Canadas protocols focus onmonitoring
designated roadside routes that are accessible by car in Northern and Central Ontario, certain
measuresweretakentoadjusttheseprotocolstofitthenatureofthisproject.

a.TransectOnfootSurveys

The transect approach to the survey design was selected primarily as a way of addressing the
sizeofShortHillsProvincial Parkandthelimitedamountoftimeandeffortavailabletocomplete
the survey. Although transect surveys typically produce lower encounter rates than road
surveys they provide the advantage of reaching remote areas inaccessible by car (Hardey,
2006). UsingArcMap 10.3,theobserverswereableto splitupShortHillsinto12 evenlyspaced
transects, please refer to Figure 1fordetails. TheUTMcoordinatesforthecenterpointofeach
transect was positioned so that there were 600 m on each side in order to avoid overlap when
sampling. As a result these transects were selected randomly, discounting their spatial
geography, and provided the researchers with the opportunity to sample the presence of a
rangeofowlspeciesinavarietyofhabitattypes.

b.Audioplaybackbroadcasting

The primary method used to obtain the desired biological data was through the use of
audioplayback recordings. This method involves the playing of the calls from the owl species
that could be found in the area interjectedwithappropriatepausesintherecordingstoallow for
the birds to callback. Forthespecificbreakdownof theaudioplaybacktrackusedseeTable1.
Researchers have found that the broadcasting of the audio recordings proved to result in a
higher detectability in woodland raptors such as the BarredOwl,than onlylookingandlistening
from the road (Mosher, Fuller, & Kopeny, 1990). However, the use of the audiobroadcastings
is a method that is debated among owl researchers. It is thought that using audio broadcasts
can be disruptive to the owls in the area through increasing their risk of predation, disrupt
foraging or courtship rituals, or draw females off of their nest (Takats et al.,2001). Despitethe
risk of disruption the observersdecidedtochoosethismethodbecauseoftheshorttermnature
4

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

of theprojectwiththeintentionsofincreasingtheunderstandingofowlpopulationsinShortHills
ProvincialPark,therebyimprovingparkuseprocedures.

Table1:Breakdownoftheaudiobroadcastingfile
Species

Broadcastingperiod

Silentlisteningperiod

NorthernSawWhetOwl

30seconds

1minute

EasternScreechOwl

30seconds

1minute

BarredOwl
30seconds
** The cycle wasrepeated3x
because of the Barred Owls
slow reaction time to
recordings

2minutes

LongearedOwl

30seconds

1minute

GreatHornedOwl

30seconds

1minute

c. BroadcastRecordingParameters

The audio recordings were collected from various Youtube channelsandcompiledintoasingle

audio file with the required silent listening periods built in between each call in order to ensure
the standardization of each field test and to reduce fumbling with equipment in winter
temperatures. The order in which the species of owl vocalizations were compiled in the audio
file was purposeful. The order of broadcasting is as follows: Northern SawWhet, Eastern
Screech Owl, Barred Owl, Longeared Owl, and Great Horned Owl. The recordingsbeginwith
the smallest species and work their way up to the largest species so as to increase the
likelihood that the smaller specieswillvocalizebeforetheyhearthecallsofapotentialpredator.
As suggested by the Nocturnal Owl Monitoring Guidelines (2001), the volume at which the
recordingswerebroadcastedatcouldbeheardfrombetween400800metersaway.

d.EnvironmentalFactors

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

The environmental conditions under whichowlsurveyscanbeconductedare limited. Thetable

below from Mosher et al. (1990) outlines theappropriateandinappropriateconditionsthatwere
heeded for the extent of this study.

These factors may influence owl behaviour and

responsivenessandtheymayadverselyaffectowldetection(Palmer,1987).

Table2:Recommendedenvironmentalandnoiseparametersforowlsurveys
Condition

Acceptable

Unacceptable

Wind

Beaufort0(<2km/hr)Smokerises

Beaufort1(25km/hr)Somesmoke
drifts

Beaufort2(611km/hr)Leavesrustle

Beaufort3(1219km/hr)Leavesrustle
andtwigsinmotion

Beaufort4(2029km/hr)
Raisesdust,smallbranches
move

Beaufort5(3039km/hr)
Smalltreessway

Beaufort6(>40km/hr)

Precipitation

None
Lightdrizzle
Lightsnow

Steadyrain
Heavysnow

Temperature

Ideallytemperaturesshouldbecloseto
seasonalaverages.Thereisevidence
thatsomeowlsmaybelessvocalin
coldertemperatures

NoiseLevel

Description

Quiet

Somenoise,butnotdistracting(dogsbarking/coyoteshowling)

Significantnoisethatmayreduceowldetectability(creekflowing)

Constantnoise(i.e.traffic,roaringcreek)

EquipmentandDataCollectionProcess
Equipment
The following equipment was used for Audio Recording: H4NSP Handy Recorder and a studio
microphonewith24bit/96kHzhighresolutionaudio.
6

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

ThefollowingequipmentwasusedforAudioBroadcasting:BigJamboxWirelessSpeakerwith2
Watts x 2 <0.1% of total harmonic distortion, frequency of 60Hertz 20 kilohertz and anoutput
of85decibelsat0.5milliwatts.

DataCollectionProcess
Step1:HabitatSurveysandSiteNavigation
Navigation to each quadrant was made possiblewiththeaidoftrailmapsprovided bytheShort
Hills Provincial Park website and GPS services. The Magellan Explorist 610 was used for
dropping waypoints and navigational purposes. Two additional GPS service applications, GPS
Essentials and Handy GPS, were downloaded onto field team members cellular devices to
provide navigation for the designated UTM coordinates for each site. Once each site transect
was found, a number of precautions were taken to ensure revisits to the sites at night for
broadcasting surveys weremoresafeandaccessible.Onceeachsitehadbeenfound,anearby
tree was marked with flagging tape and waypoint was dropped using a GPS device. Habitat
assessments wereconductedatthe centreofeachquadrantusingfieldsheetsfrom theMinistry
of Natural Resources and Forestrys Ecological Land Classification (ELC) system, specifying
vegetation cover, flora species, presence of mammalian and avian species, topography, and
levels of disturbance. ELC field sheets can be found in the Appendices. Any outstanding
characteristics that are relevant to the study or could potentiallyaffectdatacollectionwerealso
noted. Details of the assessment parameters can be found in the field sheets of figure ()inthe
appendix. After full habitat assessments had been completed, sites were revisited to begin
broadcastingsurveys.

Step2:AudioBroadcasting
Prior to the field team arriving on site, weatherconditionsincludinghumidity,temperature,wind
speed, dewpoint, pressure, visibility, moon cycle stage as well as levels of noise disturbance
were recorded. Broadcasting of audioplayback calls occurred ideally within one hour after
sundown, 100 meters in reach of the centre coordinates for each transect. Using the Big
Jambox Wireless Speakeratfullvolume,audioplaybackcallswerebroadcastedinalldirections
for ten minutes. Each call lasted approximately twenty seconds and is preceded by sixty
seconds of silence to allow any nearby owls to respond. In accordance with the
recommendations of the Nocturnal Owl Monitoring Guidelines (2001), Barred owl calls were
broadcasted three times and followed by two minute intervals of silence because of their
tendency to take longer to vocalize. Once an owl call was confirmed and identified by the field

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

team present at the time of the survey, time and owl species were recorded but the
broadcastingprocesswasnotinterrupted.

AlterationstotheDataCollectionProcess
AudioplaybackbroadcastingsurveywithAudiorecordingdevice(Sitevisits14)
After each broadcasting survey using the H4NSP Audio Recorder and studio microphone,
initially intended to capture any vocalizations, the device was placed in an open container and
attached to a nearby tree branchor shrubwhereitwouldrecordcontinuouslyovernightuntilthe
battery died. The next morning the device was collected and its data were analyzed and
assessedatalatertime.

AudioplaybackbroadcastingsurveywithoutAudiorecordingdevice(Sitevisits512)
As mentioned above, the research team conducted audiobroadcasting surveys. No recording
device was used for site visits 512 because of complications with the equipment asdiscussed
in project limitations. After each broadcasting survey, the field team waited an additional ten to
fifteen minutes to listen for any calls. This was another change to the project methods that is
alsodiscussedinthelimitationssection.

Results

In reference to Tables 3 and 4 in the appendix, a total of seven owl calls were recorded from
th
th
March 7
to April 5
duringsiterevisitsforbroadcastingsurveys.Outoftheowlcallsheard,two

species were identified by the field team including three GreatHorned Owl calls and four
th th
th
EasternScreech Owl calls. GreatHorned Owl(s) were heard from on March 7
, 8and20
on
th
th
Sites 11, 10 and 2, while EasternScreechOwl(s)wereheardfromonMarch12
,29
andApril
th
5
on Sites 5, 9 and 7. The following map illustrates the sites positions as well as which owls

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

were

heard

within

the

each

quadrat

(figure

1).

Figure1:MapofShortHillsParkandthedetectionofowlspecies

th
Two accounts of owl activity are especiallyworthnoting.ThefirstoneoccurredonMarch29
at
Site 5, whereby two EasternScreech Owls were heard responding to each others calls. The
th
second account occurredonApril5
atSite 7whenanEasternScreechOwlrespondeddirectly

to the audioplayback broadcast of an EasternScreech Owl after the owl heard the initial
audioplayback calls, it proceeded to call 15 times and moved closer south of the field team
from a south western direction. Ultimately, sites where owls were identified by the field team
variedconsiderablyacrossthepark.
The noise level disturbance at sites where owl calls were documented was minimal, ranging
from a level of 1 at each of the GreatHorned Owl Sites as well as Sites 5 and 7 to a noise
disturbance level of 2 for Site 9 where anEasternScreechOwlwasdocumented.Furthermore,
wind speeds recorded prior toaudiobroadcastingwereallwithintheacceptablelimit,exceptfor

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

site 12, where no owl calls were documented (Mosher et al, 1990). Overall, owls were heard
mostdistinctivelyonnightswherewindspeedswereatorbelow10kph.

Discussion

It was determined that the ecotypes in the park were either too small or more likely that there
was not enough variation between them to greatly influence the distribution of owls throughout
the park. This can be deduced from the fact that only great horned owls and eastern screech
owls were the only confirmed calls heard within the park. Both of these birds share similar
habitat preferences including being tolerant to both urban and rural areas.Thiscouldbeoneof
the reasons why the disturbance level of the sites, including proximity to trails, showed no real
effect on the distribution. The map below shows the relative noise at each site during the
broadcast as well as the amount of disturbance found at each site (figure 2).

Figure2:DisturbancenoiselevelsinShortHills

10

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

The park is relatively new in terms of forest progression which would explain the absence of
barred owls who prefer mature forests. The limited connectivity of the park to larger patchesof
forest could explain why there were no signs of any long eared owls since outside of nesting
season long eared owls will gather in groups of up to a hundred individuals.Theparksimplyis
not large enough to support owls in those numbers. Finally the northern sawwhet owl prefers
mixed and coniferous forests but other than the plantations thereareveryfewareasthatwould
provideadequatehabitat.

Great horned owls are territorial birds and will often kill other owls that they find threatening.
Barred owls can often be found in similar habitat to that of the greathornedowlhoweverbeing
another large species of owl their presence could be deemed threatening especially if there is
limited suitable habitat. There were multiple calls heard throughout the park so it can be
assumed that they are well established and able to chase off threats. The great horned owls
however would not feel threatened by the small eastern screech owl and in fact will often prey
upon these owls. This would logically dissuade screech owls from nesting and roosting near
greathornedowlsbutthetwocanoftenbefoundneareachotherinthewild.

ProjectLimitations
A.Weather
As outlined above, there are certain environmental conditions that must be adhered to inorder
to increase the researchers chance of hearing the owls and to increase the likelihood of the
owls vocalizing in the first place. Unfortunately, the group washinderedmostfrequently bythe
high wind speeds (>19 kph), however, it is interesting to note that extremelycoldtemperatures
wereneveralimitingfactorbecauseofthepredominantlywarmwinterthatwasexperienced.

B.Equipment
The equipment that was used for the first four nights of recordings included the H4NSPHandy
Recorder and a studio microphone. The H4NSP Handy recorder had its limitations especially
when it came to limited battery life in colder temperatures. However it wasnt until the fourth
night of recording when there was a lot of evident background noise at the time of recording
(e.g. chickens, dogs barking, and a train), and still nothing of significance showing up in the
software analysis that it was decided that the studio microphone was cancelling out the
background noise. As a result, the group decided to not leave the recording device out
11

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

overnight because of its limitedfunctionalityandinhopesofbeingabletorecordmorethanone

siteinanight.
C.Limitedamountsoftime
It would have been valuable to return to each of the sites again for a second round of
broadcasting to determine whether the same species of owls were sticking toageneralareaof
the park. However, becauseofthelengthofthesemesterthiswas notpossible,andunderlines
theimportanceoffuturestudentsreturningtothesamepointsandcontinuingtocollectdata.

D.Limitedaccuracyofowldetection
Because the Owl team was relying solely on theirearsasawayofdeterminingthepresenceof
owls, there are notable limitations associated with this reality. The largest limitation in this
regard comes with the inabilityofthehumaneartopreciselydeterminethedistanceordirection
that the call is coming from. A general bearing was taken when an owl vocalized, but specific
geographicaldatacouldnotbegatheredtopinpointtheowlslocation.

RecommendationsfornextyearsOwlprojects
A.Obtainresearchpermitearly
Based on the experience of this group, it is recommended that for students interested in
continuing to do research in Short Hills Provincial Park should work towards getting the
necessary permits early on. TheapplicationprocessisquitestraightforwardandOntarioParks
approved it without making any changes to the form that was initially submitted to them.
According to the permit Ontario Parks would like to be alerted at least 10 days before data
collection begins. Additionally, it was requested by the Assistant Superintendent of Short Hills
that he be notified by email just before heading into the park in the event that he received a
complaint about people being in the park afterdark,andcouldthereforeassumeitwasNiagara
Collegestudents.
The community group, Friends of Short Hills, werealsoagoodcommunitycontacttomakeand
the team of owl researchers was invited back to the groups meeting in April to present their
findings.
Contactinfo:
AssistantSuperintendentofShortHillsProvincialPark:JeffreyPickersgill
Email:
jeffrey.pickersgill@ontario.ca
PresidentoftheFriendsofShortHills:AnneKubu
12

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

Email:
shorthillspark@gmail.co
m
B.Beginthegroundtruthingprocessearlieron
It is recommended that next years group attempt to use the same 12 points that were
established this year asawayofensuringsomecontinuity. ThisyearsOwlgroupbegantofind
the designated central points of each of the 12 transects and conducting ELC habitat
classifications at the beginning of the winter term. It would have left much more time for the
broadcastsurveysiftheELChabitatclassificationshadbegunintheFallsemester.
C.Obtainweatherproofrecordingunit
It would be really interesting to see the results of this project if future students were able to
obtain a weatherproof unit. As a result it would be possible toleavetherecorderoutforlonger
periods of time as well as capture any potential vocalizations that were going on after the
researchers had left the site. This would be of particular interest since a large number of the
owlvocalizationsoccurredafterthebroadcastinghadfinished.

RecommendationsforOntarioParksandFriendsofShortHills
A.NestBoxes
As urban areas continue to remove fallen trees, therefore removingidealnestinghabitatintree
and limb cavities, a nesting box can provide a valuable alternative and even help to stabilize
Eastern Screech Owl populations in the area although it should be noted that they are not
considered species at risk in the area. A nesting box program could be put forward as an
independent project by Ontario Parks, or it could act as a public outreach initiative with the
community.
The selection of natural cavities in the wild by the owl tend to be between 1220 feet above
ground in deep shade. As a result, placing a nesting box at least 10 feet abovethe groundon
the trunk of a tree, ideally away from heavy foot traffic constitutes an appropriate location
(Kaufman, 2002). For afulloutlineofnestingboxparametersandconstructionprotocolsfor the
Eastern

Screech,

please

visit

the

following

website:

http://archive.audubonmagazine.org/backyard/backyard0201.html

B.OwlProwlsascommunityoutreach
Itistheunderstandingofthisresearchgroup thatafterspendingapproximately40hourseachin
the park during the day and the night that nature of this projects design has provided a much
13

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

greater appreciation and understanding of Short Hills. It is recommended that the Friends of
Short Hills in partnership with Ontario Parks offer Owl Prowls to their local stakeholders as a
wayoffosteringasimilarconnectiontothepark. Thecosts ofrunningsuchaprogramwouldbe
low. In terms of equipment all that would be needed is a wireless or bluetooth speaker to
broadcast the recordings (ideally with a maximumvolumerangethat canbeheardfromatleast
300 meters away), as well as the single audio file that contains all of the owl vocalizationsand
listening periods in one file that can then be played from a phone or a MP3 device with
bluetoothorwirelesscapabilities.

Conclusion
The owl species found during the monitoring study were characteristic of the habitatconditions
found throughout Short Hills Provincial Park. Specifically, the Great Horned Owl and Eastern
ScreechOwl are generalist species. They are both tolerant to levels of disturbance that are
typical of the surrounding rural land uses and urban areas. Contrastingly, the habitat types
required to sustain the remaining owl species (Northern Saw Whet Owl, Barred Owl, and
LongearedOwl)werenotdominantenoughtosupporttheirnestingrequirements.
Overall, it is important to acknowledge that although the park has limited ecotype diversity
because ofitsyoungage,itisstillanimportantrefugiumfortheEasternScreechOwlandGreat
Horned Owl,especiallyconsideringthemodernlandusepracticesthathaveled todeforestation
and the subsequent fragmentation ofremainingwoodlots.Continuingtomonitorowlnumbersin
the park in future years may continue to serve as an important indicator for the environmental
healthofthelandscape.

14

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

Citations
FriendsofShortHills.(2016).
FriendsofShortHillsHistory.
RetrievedfromFriendsofShort
Hills:
http://www.friendsofshorthillspark.ca/page/history

Hardey,Jon.(2006).
Raptors:afieldguidetosurveyandmonitoring:
TheStationeryOffice.

Kaufman,Ken.(2002).
Alittlenightmagic.
AudubonSociety.AccessedApril,19,2016.
http://archive.audubonmagazine.org/backyard/backyard0201.html

Mosher,JamesA,Fuller,MarkR,&Kopeny,Mark.(1990).SurveyingWoodlandRaptorsby
BroadcastofConspecificVocalizations(ConteodeAvesRapacesenreasBoscosas
UtilizandoGrabacionesdelaVocalizacindeConespecficos).
JournalofField
Ornithology
,453461.

Palmer,DavidA.(1987).
Annual,seasonal,andnightlyvariationincallingactivityofBorealand
NorthernSawwhetOwls.
PaperpresentedattheBiologyandconservationofnorthern
forestowls:symposiumproceedings.USDepartmentofAgricultureForestService
GeneralTechnicalReportRM142,FortCollins,Colorado,USA.

Takats,L.,Francis,M.,Holroyd,G.,Duncan,J.,Mazur,K.,Cannings,R.,Harris,W.,Holt,D.,
(2001).
GuidelinesforNocturnalOwlMonitoringinNorthAmerica.B
eaverhillBird
ObservatoryandBirdStudiesCanada,Edmonton,Alberta.

TheCornellLabofOrnithology.(2015).
AllAboutBirdsGuide
.RetrievedfromAllAboutBirds:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/id

15

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

Appendices
ResultsTables
Table3:Datacollectionforsitevisits15
Visit#

March

March

Date

7,2016

March8,2016 11,2016

March12,16 March20,16

Site

11

10

12

Disturbance

12

17

13

21

18

UTME

639934

640590

640579

639923

638950

UTMN

4774504

4773188

4773821

4773188

4772536

Survey

19:44pm

19:41

19:49

19:38

20:56

Sunset

18:14pm

18:15

18:18

18:20

19:29

TimingDiff.

1hr30

1hr26

1hr31

1hr18

1hr27

Temperature

11

10

WindSpeed

13kphN

5kphN

21kphSSW

16kphSSW 5kphNNW

Humidity

76%

71%

81%

62%

59%

DewPoint

Pressure

1017mb

1015mb

1029mb

1018mb

1016mb

Visibility

16km

16km

16km

16km

16km

Waning

Waning

Waning

Waning

Waxing

MoonPhase

Crescent

crescent

crescent

Crescent

Crescent

OwlCallback

GHO

GHO

Noowls

ESO

GHO

10

Timeof

Noise/disturb 1

Table4:Datacollectionforsitevisits610.
Visit#

Date

March27,16 March27,16 March29,16 April2,2016

April5,2016

Site

16

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

UTME

639273

639601

640229

638273

638617

UTMN

4773188

4772536

4771865

4772536

4773188

Disturbance

10

TimeofSurvey 20:25

21:33

20:55

20:38

20:42

Sunset

19:37

19:37

19:39

19:44

19:49

TimingDiff.

48minutes

1hr4

1hr26

54minutes

53minutes

Temperature

WindSpeed

10kphw

10kphw

5kphW

5kphE

10kphN

Humidity

93%

93%

36%

100%

51%

DewPoint

12

Pressure

1016mb

1016mb

1025mb

996mb

1022mb

Visibility

16km

16km

16km

5km

16km

Noise/disturb

Waning

Waning

Waning

Waning

Waning

MoonPhase

crescent

crescent

Crescent

Crescent

crescent

OwlCallback

Noowls

Noowls

ESO

Noowls

chattyESO

17

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

EcologicalLandClassificationFieldSheets

18

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

19

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

OwlSpeciesProfiles

Throughout Ontario there are many different species of owls however they are nocturnal and
often very secretive.Theyareknownfortheexcellentvisionandbeingabletorotatetheirnecks
almost 270 degrees. Owl feathers different from other birds of prey. Most falcons and hawks
have feathers that are made for speed and to be abletochangedirectionsquicklywhereasthe
owls feathers have soft edges. The softness quiets their wing beats making them extremely
stealthy hunters. They are carnivorous and have a wide range of diets. All of the owls

20

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

mentioned in this study are known to be in the range ofShortHillsProvincialParkhowevernot

allofthemareconfirmedtobelivingwithinthepark.

GreatHornedOwl
Bubovirginianus
Great Horned Owls as one might suspect are a very large birds with thick bodiesandpowerful
talons. They get their name from the two tufts offeathersontopoftheirhead.Theircolouration
is mottled grey browns with a distinct white patch on their throats (The Cornell Lab of
Ornithology,2015).
The Great Horned Owl is one of the widest distributed owls and canbefoundinmanydifferent
habitats including deciduous and coniferous forests, cities, parks and even tropical rainforests
(The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2015). They are known to take over nests made by other
animals including red tailed hawks and squirrels which are found throughout Short Hills
ProvincialPark.Theywillalsonestincliffedgesandtreehollows.
They are most active right after dusk and just before dawn. They are monogamous and are
extremely territorial (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2015). They will protect their territory with
loud hooting which makes them easier to detect. They are particularly aggressive during the
winterrightbeforetheynest(TheCornellLabofOrnithology,2015).

BarredOwl
Strixvaria
Barred owls are another large owl with mottled brown and white colouring buttheylacktheear
tufts that can be found on the Great Horned Owl. They have very distinct dark brown almost
black eyes which gives them an alien like appearance. Their upper chest is covered ismarked
with dark horizontal bars as are the wings and tail (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2015).
These markings is how it got its name. They are quite numerous and are a species of least
concern(TheCornellLabofOrnithology,2015).
The barred owls prefers mature forests but has neither a preference between deciduous or
coniferous (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2015). They are often found around water as well
(TheCornellLabofOrnithology,2015).
Barred Owls have a very distinct call that sounds like someone saying who cooks for you.
They areoftenfoundinsimilarareastothegreathornedowleventhoughgreathornedowlsare
one of their greatest predatorythreats(TheCornellLabofOrnithology,2015).Theyareanother
territorial species and are territorial all year round. They mate for life and produce one brood a
year (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2015). They will are poor nest makers as well and will

21

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

take overoldnestsortreehollowsdoingvery littletoalterthem(TheCornellLabofOrnithology,

2015).

EasternScreechOwl
Megascopsasio
The Eastern screech owl is a small owl about the size of a large soup can (The CornellLab of
Ornithology, 2015).Theyhaveaveryshorttailand neck (TheCornellLab ofOrnithology,2015).
They also havepointedfeathertuftsontopoftheirhead(TheCornellLabofOrnithology,2015).
Their silhouette can change greatly. Their colouring is complex but consists mostly of grey or
reddish browns with bright yellow eyes. Theyaremastersofcamouflageandwhentheyarenot
feeling threatened they are very skinny. Their patterning looks remarkably like bark, making
them very difficult to spot. When they are threatened they react very similar to the puffer fish
andfluffuptheirfeatherstoappearbigger.
These owls are forest dwellers it does not matter whether it is in an urban or rural setting or
whether the trees are coniferous ordeciduous(TheCornellLabofOrnithology,2015).Theyare
another owl that does not make their own nests however do to their small sizetheyareunable
to take over the nests of other animals. Theynestinhollowsoftreesandthatiswherethey are
oftenspottedduetotheirlargeyelloweyes(TheCornellLabofOrnithology,2015).
They are not very territorial but theyarestillheardmoreoftenthantheyareseen.Theircallisa
morelikeatrillthanthetypicalowllikehoot.

LongEaredOwl
Asiootus
Long Eared owls are medium sized with very slender bodies (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology,
2015). They have long slender ear tufts from which their name is derived. They are intricately
patternedwithbrowns,blacksandbuffs(TheCornellLabofOrnithology,2015).
They prefer to hunt in open fields but require tall dense vegetationforthemtonestandroostin
(The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2015). They are yet another species that does not build their
own nests and they are far more likely to steal a nest than to attempt to nest in a tree hollow
(TheCornellLabofOrnithology,2015).
This owl can be quite vocal and has a diverse range of sounds. Some sound more like barks
and squeaks though they do make the classic hooting sounds as well (The Cornell Lab of
Ornithology, 2015). Another behaviour that is quite different from other species is that outside
of the mating season they will actually live in large groups of up to a hundred individuals (The
CornellLabofOrnithology,2015).
22

A.Meeker,M.Meeker,J.Watson
ENVR9244

ShortEaredOwl
There is a lot less information found on the Short Eared Owl even though it is one of the most
widelyspread owls.Itisamediumsizedowlwithamottledbrowncolourandawhitebreastwith
streaks (The Cornell LabofOrnithology, 2015).Ithasalargeroundheadwithveryshortfeather
tuftsontopofitshead(TheCornellLabofOrnithology,2015).
It prefers mostly open areas such as meadows and sparse woodlots (The Cornell Lab of
Ornithology, 2015). It is logical then that these owls are ground nesters and will create their
nestsbyscrapingthegroundandliningitwithgrasses(TheCornellLabofOrnithology,2015).

NorthernSawWhetOwl
Aegoliusacadicus

The Northern SawWhet Owl is the smallest ofthesespeciesthatisbeingstudied.Ithasavery

round head and verylargeyellow eyes (TheCornellLab ofOrnithology,2015).Theyareusually
amottledbrowncolourwithlighterfaces(TheCornellLabofOrnithology,2015).
They prefer dense forest habitats especially mixed and coniferous forests forroosting andthen
deciduous forests with an open understory for nesting (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2015).
This could be due to the fact that they do not build their own nests or steal fromothersbutwill
nest in trunk cavities usually left by woodpeckers (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2015).They
are usually monogamous unless there isabundantpreyandthenthemaleswithhaveasecond
mate (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2015). They begin calling and looking for mates in late
January but will continue to call into May(TheCornellLabofOrnithology,2015).Theircallsare
extremely high pitched (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2015). They can be preyed upon by
EasternScreechOwlsandGreatHornedOwls.

23