Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula caparoch) Movement and Habitat Use

Abstract

Northern Hawk Owls (Surnia ulula caparoch, hereafter hawk owl) are one of the least studied birds in North America. Conservation of hawk owls requires the understanding of hawk owl habitat use and movements throughout the annual cycle, including activity in winter. To understand these important periods of the annual cycle, we implemented novel use of GPS/GSM transmitters to monitor the activity and movement of 11 hawk owls in northern Minnesota and southern Manitoba. The data from these individuals was used to determine if hawk owls had a winter home range and if they selected specific habitats within them. Secondly, eBird data was used to create a Species Distribution Model to categorize habitat suitability. Results showed that hawk owls do establish winter home ranges and home ranges were smaller than expected. Additionally, in winter, hawk owls selected for wetland habitat and were positively associated with edge characteristics in both analyzes.