Barred owl home range and habitat selection in the boreal forest of central saskatchewan

Abstract

We assessed Barred Owl (Strix varia) home range and habitat selection in the boreal forest of central Saskatchewan from 1993 to 1995 using radio telemetry (11 females and 4 males). Breeding, nonbreeding, and annual home-range sizes averaged 149, 1,234, and 971 ha, respectively. Breeding and nonbreeding home ranges overlapped entirely for all but two owls. Relative to habitat composition at random areas, Barred Owl breeding home ranges had greater proportions of old (80+ years) mixedwood forest, and nonbreeding home ranges contained greater proportions of old and mature (50 to 79 years) mixedwood and deciduous forest. Both breeding and nonbreeding home ranges contained low proportions of young (<50 years) forest and treed muskeg. Breeding home ranges contained higher proportions of old mixedwood than nonbreeding home ranges. Habitats used for foraging and roosting differed from the proportions of habitat available within the study area. During the breeding period, Barred Owls strongly selected old mixedwood, with lesser selection for mature mixedwood and deciduous forests. Similarly, in the nonbreeding period, old mixedwood was selected most strongly, with lesser selection for mature mixedwood and mature and old deciduous forests. During the breeding period, owls used habitats in proportion to their availability within home ranges, with the exception of young mixedwood forest, which was selected against. Owls selected old mixedwood within their nonbreeding home ranges and avoided young and coniferous forests, treed muskeg, open areas, and water.