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Nesting and Diet of Long-Eared Owls in Conifer Forests, Oregon

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Nesting and Diet of Long-Eared Owls in Conifer Forests, Oregon The Condor91:908-912 Q The CooperOrnithological Society 1989 NESTING AND DIET OF LONG-EARED OWLS IN CONIFER FORESTS, OREGON EVELYN L. BULL AND ANTHONY L. WRIGHTS USDA Forest Service,Pacijic NorthwestResearch Station, La Grande, OR 97850 MARK G. HENJUM OregonDepartment of Fish and Wildlife, La Grande, OR 97850 Abstract. Long-eared Owls (Asiootus) nested in extensive stands of grand fir (Abies grandis) in northeastern Oregon. Nineteen of 20 nests were in dwarf-mistletoe brooms (Arceuthobiumspp.) in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii) trees. Young were raisedat 70% of the nests,and brood size averaged3.0. The northern pocketgopher (Thomomystalpoides) was the primary prey item both in frequency(56%) and biomass (74%). These observations differ from those reported previously for the Long-eared Owl in North America. Key words: Long-earedOwl; nesthabitat; reproduction;diet; Oregon. INTRODUCTION aspects(3 16-45”) 3 1% are eastern(46-l 36”), 20% The Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) has a circum- are southern (136-225”) and 16% are western polar, holarctic distribution in boreal, temperate, (226-3 15’). Mediterranean, and steppeclimatic zones (Mik- The study area consistsof a mosaic of forests kola 1983). Becauseof its wide distribution and (84% of area) with many shallow-soiled grass- tendency to roost and nest in concentrations, lands (16%). Forest types in the study area (clas- much has been published on its food habits and sified by Burr 1960) are 14% open ponderosa nesting (Hagen 1965, Kallander 1977, Mikkola pine (Pinus ponderosa), 41% ponderosa pine- 1983). However, the majority of information re- Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii), and 45% ported has been for owls inhabiting small, scat- grand fir (Abiesgrandis) mixed with Douglas-fir, tered woodlands surrounded by open land ponderosa pine, and western larch (Larix occi- (Wijnandts 1984, Marks 1986). No such infor- dentalis) (45%). Forested stands were uneven- mation is available on this speciesin a predom- aged and were classified into three successional inantly forested habitat in North America. Our stages:(1) stands with trees ~30 cm dbh (di- objectives were to describe the nesting habitat, ameter at breast height); (2) standswith trees 30- reproduction, and diet of Long-eared Owls in 50 cm dbh; and (3) stands with trees >50 cm extensive conifer forestsin northeastern Oregon. dbh. Ninety percent of the area had not been logged in 40 years; the remainder had a partial STUDY AREA removal of the overstory within the last 15 years. The study was conducted on a 5,270-ha area on the Starkey Experimental Forest (Starkey) 35 km METHODS southwestof La Grande in northeastern Oregon. Starkey is characterized by undulating uplands We searched for Long-eared Owls from 15 dissectedby moderate to steeply walled drain- March-25 May in 1987 and from 29 February- ageswith elevations of 1,070-1,524 m. Fifty-one 25 May in 1988, walking routesthrough the study percent of the study area is in slopes (area be- area after sunset. Routes were ~0.5 km apart to tween ridges and draws), 44% in ridges (areas ensurethat the entire area was covered.The study with O-10% slopes), and 5% in draw bottoms. area was searchedonce prior to and once after Thirty-two percent of the slopes are northern 15 April each year. Along a route we stopped every 0.1 km, imitated the call of a Long-eared Owl, and listened 3 min for a response.If an owl was heard, we recorded date, time, and location. * Received27 February 1989. Final acceptance27 July 1989. To locate nests, we returned during the day to 2 Present address:Running Creek Ranch, P.O. Box sites where owls had been heard and searched 1515, Hamilton, MT 59840. for whitewash, pellets, and potential nest plat- [9W LONG-EARED OWL NESTING HABITAT 909 forms. Any tree with more than six pellets un- measured with a planimeter on aerial photo- derneath it and within 150 m of a nest was de- graphs. fined as a roost tree. Pellets were identified by The following habitat characteristicsin 40 O.l- size, although Long-eared Owls were observed ha plots selected at random in grand fir forest at approximately half these roosts.We identified types within the study area were recorded: the species of tree, type of roost (mistletoe or successional stage, slope gradient, number of branch), and measured dbh, height of roost, and canopy layers, logging activity (none or partial distance from nest. Platforms with an adult bird removal), and number of trees with dwarf-mis- in an incubation position, with eggs,or with nest- tletoe. lings (live or dead) were defined as nests. There Chi-squareanalyses were usedto compare nest- were three caseswhere nestswere found after the site characteristics with characteristics in ran- nestlings had left the nest but were in trees near- dom plots: (1) in ridges, slopes, and draws; (2) by. The nest was easily identified by the presence in north, east, south, and west aspects;(3) in three of whitewash and pellets underneath it and by forest types; (4) in number of canopy layers; (5) pellets and Long-eared Owl feathers in the plat- in logging activity; and (6) in successionalstage. form. We compared the slope gradient and number of Nest sites were visited once a week to collect trees with dwarf-mistletoe brooms at nest sites pellets and look for dead owls, prey remains, or with the gradient and number of treeswith dwarf fledged young. After the young had left, we mistletoe at random plots (unpaired two-tailed climbed to each nest to collect pellets and prey t-test). Significance was defined when P 5 0.05. remains and to measure (diameter and depth) and describe the nest platform. Skulls and den- RESULTS taries in each pellet were identified with the use REPRODUCTION of keys (Maser and Storm 1970, Glass 1973). Skulls and dentariesof eachspecies were summed, The first Long-eared Owl was heard on 18 March and the number of each specieswas determined in both 1987 and 1988. In 1987 and 1988, re- by the number of skulls or pairs of dentaries, spectively, 25 and 34 owls were heard during whichever was larger. Biomass consumed by the sampling, and 88% and 53% were heard before owls was estimated for each prey speciesaccord- 26 April. Owls were heard calling from an hour ing to Bull et al. (1989). Because of variable before sunset until 7 hr after sunset. Vocal ac- weights of birds and their relative insignificance tivity was greatest within 2 hr of sunset when in the diet, avian specieswere not considered in 63% of the owls were first heard, yet only 26% biomass calculations. of the time spent listening was within this 2-hr The age of northern pocket gophers (Thomo- period. mys talpoides)was determined using a regression Clutch size at five nests ranged from three to formula in Janesand Barss(1985). All dentaries five eggs;we observed females on eggsfrom 15 with a condyloid processlength of 2 20 mm were April to 26 May. Mean brood size of 12 nests classified as adults and those ~20 mm were ju- within a week of when young started branching veniles. We used 90 g for adults and 30 g for (climbing out branches away from the nest) was juveniles in biomass calculations. 3.0 (SD = 1.2, Range = l-4). Young started We recorded the following characteristics of branching from 13 June until 1 July. each nest tree: species,dbh, height, age, and pres- Young were successfullyraised (lone young ence of dwarf-mistletoe brooms (Arceuthobium left the nest) at 14 (70%) of 20 nests. Nine of the spp.). The following habitat characteristicswere nestswere found during incubation, eight during recordedin a 0.1 -ha circular plot centered on the brooding, and three after branching. Fifty-six nest tree: location (ridge, slope, or draw), slope percent of the nestsfound during incubation were aspectand gradient, forest type and successional successful.Remains of depredatednestlings were stage,stem density, number of trees with dwarf- found at two nests, and remains of a depredated mistletoe, distance to opening >0.5 ha, number adult were found at one nest. We found remains of canopy layers, logging activity, and canopy of three fledgedjuveniles that had been killed by closure(four readingsat nest using sphericalden- Accipiterspp. Accipiter pluck sitescontaining re- siometer). Within a 500-m radius of each nest, mains of Long-eared Owls in the vicinity of five the percent of area in forests and openings was Long-eared Owl nest sites suggestedthat other 910 E. L. BULL, A. L. WRIGHT AND M. G. HENJUM TABLE 1. Diet of Long-earedOwls during nestingin northeasternOregon, 1987-1988, determined from 1,128 pellets (1,123 prey items). Prey item Weight % Biomass % Frequency Mammals Northern pocket gopher 30,9@ 74.4 55.7 Vole (Mcrotusspp.) 26 15.2 20.5 Deer mouse (Peromyscusmanicuhztus) 16 11.8 Bushy-tailed woodrat (Neotomacinerea) 156 :.; 0.7 Red-backed vole (Clethrionomysgappert] Shrew (Sorex spp.) 195 0.50:9 ::: Other mammalsb 0.5 0.3 Birds Insects ‘Weight (g) usedfor biomasscalculations: 30 g usedfor juvenile and 90 g usedfor adult pocketgophers. bIncluded prey comprising~0.5% of diet: heathervole (Phenacomys intermedius) (27 g). yellow-pinechipmunk (Eutamiur amoenus) (56 g), and northernflying squirrel(Glaucomys sabrinus) (115 g). adults had been killed. In addition, a Long-eared (SD = 24.65) of age. Nest height averaged 9.8 m Owl leg was found in a Great Horned Owl (B&o (SD = 3.24). Nineteen of the nestswere in dwarf- virginianus) nest. mistletoe brooms, and one was a stick nest- probably built by an accipiter. The mean di- DIET mensions of nest platforms were 49 (SD = 13.5) We collected 1,128 pellets from Long-eared Owl x 35 cm (SD = 9.98) with a mean depth of 23 nests and roosts located within 150 m of occu- cm (SD = 8.93).
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