PARENT SESSION
Poster Session #43: Avian Ecology.
Thursday, August 9, 2001. Presentation from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM. Exhibition Hall

Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) distribution and habitat selection in the Nicolet National Forest, WI, USA.

Paulios, Andrew¹, ¹

ABSTRACT- Despite their potential significance for conservation, very little is known about the habitat needed to sustain healthy populations of Saw-whet Owls in the Northern Lakes States Region. Existing bird-monitoring systems like the North American Breeding Bird Survey and state Breeding Bird Atlases have generated little comprehensive data on Saw-whet owl abundance or habitat preferences. This study will present two years of owl survey data within the Nicolet National Forest (NNF) in Northern Wisconsin. Together with the Ottawa National Forest, the NNF is part of the fourth largest continuous block of public land east of the Mississippi River. The NNF also lies at the southernmost limit of extensive boreal/sub-boreal forest, an ecotype of significance to many northern owl species. This study will quantify site-specific and landscape level Saw-whet Owl habitat selection patterns, and will discuss the role of current forest management practices on the long-term sustainability of Saw-whet Owl populations in the region. In addition, the proposed research will contribute to long-term monitoring schemes that use owl species as indicators of habitat fragmentation and overall ecosystem health.

KEY WORDS: <Aegolius acadicus>, Landscape , Habitat Selection, Owl survey