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1 September 2011 Large-Scale Movement and Migration of Northern Saw-Whet Owls in Eastern North America
Sean R. Beckett, Glenn A. Proudfoot
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Abstract

We used information compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey's Bird Banding Laboratory and geographic information systems (GIS) analysis to identify trends in annual Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) movement across eastern North America. Analysis of 81,584 Northern Saw-whet Owl banding events revealed a southbound annual fall migration front with peak banding activity occurring progressively later in the season as latitude decreases. Northbound owls comprised <9% of owls banded and recaptured elsewhere in the same season, and <5% were recaptured northbound >100 km from banding location. There was no relationship between banding latitude and adult-to-juvenile ratio. However, the proportion of adults versus juveniles banded was not uniform among banding stations, suggesting age-differentiated migration patterns may exist. Information from multiyear foreign recaptures revealed that 72% of owls banded and subsequently recaptured at the same latitude in different years were recaptured <100 km from banding location. A similar trend was found in the Appalachian Mountains, the Great Lakes Basin, and the Atlantic seaboard. This indicates that Northern Saw-whet Owls may exhibit high migration route fidelity. These findings expand the Northern Saw-whet Owl information portfolio and illustrate the versatility of aggregate data sets as a tool for answering large-scale questions regarding migration.

Sean R. Beckett and Glenn A. Proudfoot "Large-Scale Movement and Migration of Northern Saw-Whet Owls in Eastern North America," The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 123(3), 521-535, (1 September 2011). https://doi.org/10.1676/10-130.1
Received: 22 August 2010; Accepted: 1 February 2011; Published: 1 September 2011
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