Northern Saw-Whet Owl Aegolius acadicus
Their small size and timid habits can make these owls even harder to find. About the size of a robin, they are prey to larger owls, like the great horned owl, so they tend to stick to cover and flocks.
While their winter range is diverse and probably varies yearly, its known that northern saw-whets tend to roost in dense conifers near the edge of extensive woodlands. “It certainly seemed possible that the mixture of woodland, marsh and pocket prairies seem a perfect habitat at Woodland Dunes,” located just outside of Two Rivers,
WI.
The Saw Whet Owl flocks migrate three routes here in
WI...along the Mississippi border and then head due southeast. Through the central portion of the state and since they are afraid to fly over Lake Michigan they will parallel the shorelines of Wisconsin, which is the importance of the Woodland Dunes location. The scientist will be able to determine whether or not we are catching the same bird or, demograph the locations when someone else catches it whether in Canada or Southern US. The statistics collected include the weight, wing length, age, sex, all will be sent to the Wisconsin DNR, USGS and other organizations to improve the overall national data of this tiny owl species.
How do we capture the birds? I’ll reveal how we capture these adorable owls, but I will not disclose the locations of research for safety to civilians and to the birds. The "Night Gang" is a group of volunteers on shift increments who untangle the birds from a net. We use nets about 12 meters long and with a central audio recording of a males “toot” to lure the curious birds. The nets don’t hurt the birds, but the startled lil ones just may claw out or occasionally bite while the “Night Gang” is in the process of untangling the lil bodies. My family utilizes varies of tools such as a flashlight, sharpened chopstick, and mini scissors to release the bird. Once we untangle the birds we place them into special boxes for the registered ornithologist to ban the next morning. The information obtained from the Banding is a very important part of the study.
If your one with nature and love animals; then I would consider a few nights to assist in the preservation of this species. The brisk cool air of the moonlight night of a fall evening on a short ˝ mile hike through the forest will bond to you. Some nights no Saw Whet Owls will be captured but then again you never know.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AJE
Dress for the weather, it does get cold out... but the thrill will last a lifetime.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AJE
Tonight my family aka "Night Gang" caught 12 Saw Whet Owls and all are newbies meaning they'll be banned tomorrow before being released back to the wild for continuing the trek of migrating south.
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