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Nesting Ecology of the Great Horned Owl Bubo Virginianus in Central Western Utah

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Nesting Ecology of the Great Horned Owl Bubo Virginianus in Central Western Utah Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 1968-08-01 Nesting ecology of the great horned owl Bubo virginianus in central western Utah Dwight Glenn Smith Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Smith, Dwight Glenn, "Nesting ecology of the great horned owl Bubo virginianus in central western Utah" (1968). Theses and Dissertations. 7883. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/7883 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. NESTING ECOLOGYOF THE GREATHORNED OWL BUBOVIRGINIANUS IN CENTRALWESTERN UTAH L A Thesis Presented to the Department of Zoology and Entomology Brigham Young University In Partial Fulfi I lment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science by Dwight G. Smith August 1968 This thesis by Dwight G. Smith is accepted in its present form by the Department of Zoology and Entomolo�y of Brigham Young University as satisfying the thesis require­ ment for the degree of Master of Science. Typed by Beth Anne Smith f i i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Grateful acknowledgment is made for the valuable sug- gestions and help given by the chairman of my advisory com- mittee, Dr. Joseph R. Murphy, and other members of my com- mittee, Dr. C. Lynn Hayward and Dr. Joseph R. Murdock. Ap- preciation is extended to Dr. Herbert H. Frost for his editor- ial help in the preparation of the manuscript. Financial assistance was provided by a grant from the National Audubon Society. The Department of Zoology and Ento- mology, Brigham Young University, supplied laboratory space, equipment and supplies. Grateful recognition is extended to D. K. Rawlings for his help in the preparation of the thesis. Finally, to my wife, Beth Anne, to whom the thesis is dedi- cated, love and regard are expressed for the patience shown and encouragement given throughout the field work and writing of the manuscript. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . • • . • • . i i i LIST OF TABLES . • • . V LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS . • . V INTRODUCTION . • 1 METHODSAND PROCEDURES• • • . • . • . 3 Study Area • . • . • • . • 3 Field Studies • • • . • • . • • • 5 RESULTS • . • . • . 7 Nesting population and Distribution • . • • 7 Territoriality • • . • . • • . • 16 Predation . • . • • • . 19 DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS • • • • • • • . • 23 SUMMARY. • • • . • . • . 27 LITERATURECITED . • . • . • • . • 29 V LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Nesting population and density . • . 7 2. Site selection of the Great Horned Owl • • • • 9 3. Nest dimensions of the Great Horned Owl . • . 10 4. Nesting success of the Great Horned Owl • . • • 13 5. Food of Horned Owls in the study area . • . • . 21 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Study area location and vegetation. • 4 2. Nest locations of the Great Horned Owl • • • • 12 3. Territories of three pairs of Great Horned Owls •• 17 INTRODUCTION The Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus, is a common nocturnal raptor of North and South America, occurring in most habitat types. Although it exerts considerable predatory influence on the mammalian and avian populations of its locale, relatively little is known of its natural history and ecology due to its secretive habits and the inacessability of its nesting sites. Further interest is warranted in this raptor because of its decreasing numbers caused by a combination of factors, including habitat disruption due to encroaching civilization, road kil Is, and indiscriminate shooting by hunters. This study describes the nesting ecology of the Great Horned Owl in the Great Basin deserts of central western Utah. Major aspects include nesting population and distribution, territoriality, and predation. There are few comprehensive studies on the ecology of this species and there appear to be no previous detailed investigations of it in arid or semi-arid habitats. Included among the more notewo·rthy studies are Baumgartner's (1938) work on its distribution and territoriality in the New York forests, Errington's (1932) behavioral and predation studies in the cottonwoods of Wisconsin and the rnidwest, Orians and 2 Kuhlman•s (1956) population and distribution study, also in the Wisconsin area, and Fitch's (1940, 1947) population and predation studies in the California chaparral. Utah liter- ~ture on this species is limited, but includes notes on its nest site selection (Sugden, 1928), breeding records (Bee and Hutchings, 1942), some life history and ecology data (Bee, unpublished data), a trapping note reported by Stanford (1931), and numerous focal distributional information as exemplified by Hayward's (1967) Birds of the Upper Colorado River Basin. METHODSAND PROCEDURES Study Area The study locale of the first (1967) nesting season was the Thorpe Hil Is of central western Utah, an area of approximately twelve square miles of elevated topography located in Tooele and Utah counties (see Fig. 1). In the second study season (1968) the area was enlarged to include the adjacent Topliff Hi I Is, which increased the study area to some twenty-five square miles. These hil Is are low-lying northern extensions of the Tintic Range, ·with their highest elevations rising to some 1000 feet above the surrounding valley floors of Cedar and Rush Valleys. Geologically the hills consist of masses of sandstone, limestone, and ortho- quartzites occurring in alternating layers (Bui lock, 1951). Vegetation composition was determined by the quarter method (trees) and the plot method (shrubs). The vegetation is dominated by Juniperus osteosperma and Artemisia tridentata, both of which serve as nesting material and nest sites for predatory birds, including the Great Horned Owl. Pinus monophylla and Pseudotsuga taxifolia also occur as do the shrubs Chr~sothamnus nauseosus, Atriplex confertifolia, Eurotia lanata and Sarcobatus vermiculatus. Principal grasses include Oryzopsfs hymenoides, Hilaria jamesii and Agropyron spicatum. 4 VEGETATION 0 Des•t Shrub e Douglas Fir {j Plnyon.Jooiper 10/am (/JJPlnyon•.bliper IDD/auo \ Fig. 1: Study Area Location and Vegetation 5 These topographic and vegetational features provide numerous suitable habitats for raptors, and the study area supports a high winter and summer population of avian pred- ator species. Field Studies The field work.for this study was conducted for a per- iod of two nesting seasons, the spring. of 1967 and the spring of 1968. Field observations were aided by the use of 7 by 50 binoculars and a 20 power spotting scope. Nests on the study area were located by a systematic search of all potential sites, that is, alf cliff lines, rock outcroppings, abandoned quarries and wooded areas. Those nests found were then plotted on a master map to det~rmfne the re- lative nesting population and distribution of the owls. Gaps in the suspected distribution were then rechecked several times during the nesting season for signs of roosting birds or neBts previously missed. It was felt that al I nests active during a given season were discovered, and that an accurate picture of the nesting population and distribution of the Great Horned Owl was established during the two nesting sea- sons of the study. Territorial studies were conducted at three nests, each representative of a different site. These included a west facing quarry nest and two cliff nests, one of which was loc- ated in an east-opening canyon and the other situated on a plateau with a western exposure. Territoriality was determined by visual observations during the hours from sunset until dark 6 and was conducted from constructed blinds. Additional infor- mation on bird movements was gained from the plotting of sight- ing ·occurrences during the night. Owl movements were plotted, then territory size determined by planimeter measurements of the polygon formed by connection of points denoting the ex- treme distances from the nest site, fol lowing the method dis- cussed by Odum and Kuenzler (1955). Owl predation was determined by (I) weekly nest visi- tations to record prey types and frequency, and (2) pellet analysis. On discovery of a nest site egg productivity was checked and the nest placed under weekly observation to note adult habits and egg pipping time. After the young hatched the nest was inspected more frequently to ascertain food procure- ment items and adult territorial behavior. At nest abandon- ment with the development of flight by the young, nest mea- surements were taken and the remaining food items recorded and the pellets removed for analysis. Data taken included nest size and material composition, its height relative to cliff size and its elevation. Additional data gathered included information on inter- specific relations as determined by a search and location of active predatory bird nests in the vicinity of the owl nest sites. RESULTS Nesting population and distribution Fourteen nests were found on the study area during the two breeding seasons, including four during the 1967 season and ten the fol lowing year on the enlarged study area. Horned Owl population density on the study area averaged .38 nesting pairs per square mile during the two study years. During this period five additional nests were found outside the study area but in similar habitat type; unless otherwise noted, al I observations pertain to the study area nests. TABLE1 NESTINGPOPULATION AND DENSITY Year Number of Nests Nesting Density* 1967 4 .36 1968 10 .40 * pa1rs. per square m1. I e 8 Nests and nest site Nest site and nest dimension data are presented in Tables II and III. Al I four of the 1967 season nest sites were used the fol lowing year, thus ten different sites were located during the two year study. Birds on the study area utilized cliffs, abandoned quarries, caves and junipers for nest sites. Favored sites were large sandstone or limestone cliff faces or rock outcroppings. Three sites were deep In canyons, one on a plateau, and the remainder in the hi I Is and foothi I Is.
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