Project Code:	WEYDV-02-071
Program:	FRIP
Sponsor:	Weyerhaeuser
Project Status:	Completed

Object & Deliverables

This project was designed to survey owl populations in the FMA of Edson. The program was initiated on March 1 and completed on April 17. Daytime surveys began at least three hours before sunset and night-time surveys began half an hour after sunset and continued up to seven hours into the night. The surveys used logging or resource roads. Every 1600 meters, surveyors stopped and listened for 20 minutes. The first two minutes were without calls and the rest were using recorded calls to solicit answering calls. Ten routes were sampled three times for the night-time surveys and twice for the day-time surveys during the period. After analyzing the data for the possibility of the same owl heard at two stops, the results indicated 121 owls at 120 stops. The Northern Sawwhet Owl was the most commonly heard (43). The second mostly commonly heard owls were the Great Gray Owl and the Boreal Owl (each with 25 detections). The Barred Owl was detected 22 times and the Great Horned Owl was detected 21 times. During the day-time surveys, they counted one Northern Hawk Owl, four Northern Pygmy Owls and four Great Gray Owls. The only statistically significant correlations between owl occurrence and site attributes were a negative correlation between density of cutlines and occurrence of the Great-horned Owl and Boreal Owl.

Final Report

The final report was written by Roger Brown in September 2000, entitled, “Edson FMA Owl Survey 2000 for Weyerhaeuser Canada Ltd. September 2000”.