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Western Screech-Owl Inventory (Megascops Kennicottii Macfarlanei), Okanagan Region, 2007

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Western Screech-Owl Inventory (Megascops Kennicottii Macfarlanei), Okanagan Region, 2007 Western Screech-Owl Inventory (Megascops kennicottii macfarlanei), Okanagan Region, 2007 Prepared by Nigel Jackett, Megan Traicheff, Kersti Vaino, and Vicky Young British Columbia Conservation Corps Penticton, BC Prepared for BC Ministry of Environment Penticton, BC September 2007 Executive Summary The BC Conservation Corps South Okanagan Species at Risk crews were tasked with conducting Interior Western Screech-Owl (Megascops kennicottii macfarlanei) call playback surveys in the southern interior of British Columbia during the breeding season of 2007. The main objective of the project was to survey sites that had previous M. k. macfarlanei detections to assess multiple year occupancy. This effort resulted in a total of 429 call-playback stations. The total owl count was 69 and included 6 species of owl. Of these, the most numerous were the targeted species, Interior Western Screech-Owl, which totaled 28 (42%). Data gathered during this inventory will possibly be used to assist in making future management and conservation decisions. Acknowledgements We would like to thank: Ministry of Environment biologists Jared Hobbs and Orville Dyer for providing historical data, maps and guidance; Dick Cannings for providing the historical data spreadsheet of Western Screech-Owl sites; Tolko Industries and the BC Conservation Corps for providing funding for this project; and the BC Conservation Foundation for providing administrative support. We would also like to thank Tolko Industries for providing habitat suitability maps, and the BC Conservation Corps for providing all field equipment and supplies. 1 Table of Contents Executive Summary............................................................................................................ 1 Acknowledgements............................................................................................................. 1 Table of Contents................................................................................................................ 2 List of Figures..................................................................................................................... 2 List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction......................................................................................................................... 3 Study Area ...................................................................................................................... 3 Methods............................................................................................................................... 3 Results................................................................................................................................. 5 Discussion........................................................................................................................... 8 Conclusion and Recommendations..................................................................................... 8 References........................................................................................................................... 9 Appendix 1: Owl Survey Forms ....................................................................................... 10 List of Figures Figure 1. 2007 survey stations and Western Screech-Owl detections in the Okanagan, Kettle, Similkameen, Thompson and Shuswap drainages.......................................... 6 List of Tables Table 1. Numbers and relative percentages of each owl species detected during the 2007 BCCC Western Screech-Owl call playback surveys. ................................................. 5 Table 2 Summary of survey results for previously detected sites that were resurveyed in 2007............................................................................................................................. 7 2 Introduction In British Columbia, there are currently two recognized sub-species of Western Screech- Owls: coastal (Megascops kennicottii kennicottii) and interior (M.k. macfarlanei). The interior Western Screech-Owl subspecies is provincially red-listed in British Columbia and is managed under the IWMS (Identified Wildlife Management Strategy). Federally, it is listed as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and the Species at Risk Act (SARA). The South Okanagan is the distribution center for the interior subspecies of Western Screech-Owl in B.C. They are most frequently found in low elevation deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forests (usually riparian) and typically nest in mature black cottonwood trees (Populus trichocarpa) (Cannings et al. 1987). Western Screech-Owls tend to use cavities in large diameter deciduous trees, usually made by Northern Flickers (Colaptes auratus) or Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus), for nesting and roosting (Cannings 2004). The BC Conservation Corps (BCCC) was tasked in 2007 to conduct Western Screech- Owl occupancy surveys in the Okanagan, Kettle, Similkameen, Thompson and Shuswap drainages of British Columbia. The project concentrated on surveying areas with previous detections. This included detections from survey efforts by the BCCC in 2006 and other recorded detections within the southern interior of British Columbia as amassed by the Ministry of Environment (MOE), birders and other local biologists. Information gathered during these surveys could potentially be used to establish Wildlife Habitat Areas (WHAs) and help inform future management and conservation decisions. Study Area The main areas of interest for our project (BCCC South Okanagan Species at Risk) were the Okanagan, Kettle, Similkameen, Thompson and Shuswap drainages in the southern interior of British Columbia (Figure 1). Call playback transects were placed to target mature cottonwood riparian habitat and previous detections in these areas. Methods Occupancy surveys were conducted using a call playback method to determine a presence or a presence not detected. Broadcast stations were placed along a linear transect which usually followed a road. Two walking transects involved hiking a designated trail within the habitat. Transects typically consisted of 15 stations, located approximately 500 metres apart, and covered an average linear distance of 7.5 kilometres, depending on the amount of suitable habitat. Survey areas were selected based on historical detection locations and both habitat suitability maps and road maps to locate accessible potential habitat. Transect routes were laid out in advance during daylight hours to locate prime habitat to 3 target and locations with optimal acoustics. Stations targeting historic detections were placed as close to the location of the historic detection as possible. Call playback surveys started at sunset. Stations started with an initial broadcast bout of 1 to 1.5 minutes. Western Screech-Owl territorial calls (bouncing ball) were broadcast using a megaphone and attached CD player. Stations lasted 15 minutes with calling bouts of approximately 1 minute every 4 minutes. Surveyors listened for owl responses during and in between each broadcast. If an auditory response of the targeted species was heard, broadcasting was stopped to avoid harassment of the species and surveyors listened for the remaining time. Broadcasting was also stopped if a Barred Owl or Great Horned Owl was heard and surveyors moved on. These 2 species are potential predators to the Western Screech-Owl and surveyors wanted to limit the risk of a predatory attack if a Screech-Owl was nearby. Stations were also terminated if Western Screech-Owls from previous stations could still be heard calling to limit disturbance to the owl. Additional time was added to stations where there was loud traffic or other noise to compensate for the diminished ability to hear any owls. Data for the owl surveys was recorded according to provincial Wildlife Species Inventory (WSI) standards on the field forms in Appendix 1. For each transect, the names of the surveyors, the time of sunset, the date as well as a transect description including start and end UTMs (Universal Transverse Mercator units in NAD 83), a sketch of the transect area and a brief description of the targeted habitat was recorded. At the start and end of each transect, the wind speed (using the Beaufort scale), air temperature, precipitation (none, light rain, moderate rain, heavy rain) and cloud cover (clear, <50%, >50%, 100%) were recorded. At each station, the survey name, start and end time of the station and UTM from a GPS unit (Garmin, GPSmap 60Cx, Legend Cx, or Vista C) were recorded. Comments were noted for stations where background noise (eg. river noise, wind, or dogs barking) was prominent enough to affect the integrity of the survey. When an owl was detected, the station number, species code (ie. WSOW for Western Screech-Owl), call time, response time (time elapsed between the first broadcasted call and the time of the first detected owl call), call duration, call type (eg. territorial, juvenile begging, etc.), type of detection (visual or acoustic), call direction using a compass, approximate distance to the owl, age class (adult or juvenile), and sex were recorded. In some species the difference in calls between male and female can be quite obvious and in others it is more difficult to confirm. Thus, sex of the owl was recorded only when the surveyors were certain, otherwise it was marked as unknown.
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