2017-11-14T08:19:41-08:00 2016-12-31 Boyle Deveny & Meyer PC 305 South 4th East Suite 200 Missoula MT 59801 990 2016-01-01 810453479 OWL RESEARCH INSTITUTE INC OWLR 4066446412 PO BOX 39 CHARLO MT 59824 DENVER HOLT President 2017-11-14 true CHRISTINA TWOHIG CPA P00542354 4067213555 2016 2021-01-29 14:40:06Z DENVER HOLT PO BOX 39 CHARLO MT 598240039 224364 false false X WWW.OWLINSTITUTE.ORG X 1998 MT PROMOTE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION THROUGH RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. 5 4 3 20 0 244500 224331 0 25 33 0 244525 224364 0 0 149790 113559 0 11039 73950 67154 223740 180713 20785 43651 181926 223078 8074 5575 173852 217503 PROMOTE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION THROUGH RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. false false 141165 The Owl Research Institute, Inc. (ORI) is dedicated to wildlife conservation through research and education. Our efforts occur primarily in Montana, and secondarily in Alaska.ORIs program goals can be broken down into three areas: RESEARCH -ORI conducts long-term studies to understand species needs, vulnerabilities, and population trends. Length of study and level of comprehension set our research apart. These ongoing and complex research projects require a great deal of time, travel, and manpower, but are the foundation of our long-term research. EDUCATION -ORI actively engages and educates a global audience through owl research. Live cams, Q & As, lectures, social media, TV, articles, and field tours are all tools we utilize. We know that when people learn about and connect with owls, they are more likely to become conservation minded citizens. We rarely turn down a request to share our knowledge with any group. CONSERVATION -ORI supplies partners, such as federal and state agencies, private conservation groups, and land owners, information to promote meaningful habitat management; such as a recent report we provided to state agencies documenting the importance of snag retention for owl nesting in western forests. Additionally, we distribute owl population data through scientific publications across the world.CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS Following are the current research projects ORI is conducting: Barn Owl - Barn Owls are not well-suited to tolerate cold, snowy climates and are irregular breeders in the Missoula and Mission valleys of western Montana. Every year we search old barns, structures, and natural cavities for evidence of Barn Owl activity. Although we found several roosts and investigated one reliable sighting, no nests or evidence of breeding was found in 2016. Flammulated Owl - Flammulated Owls are diminutive, insectivorous owls. Keeping up with them in the middle of the night on the steep slopes above Missoula proves a challenging affair. But the difficult task is occasionally rewarded with the discovery of a nest and seeing the cryptic camouflage of a female Flammulated Owl at a cavity entrance is always a joyful sight. We continue to monitor Flammulated Owls and gather information on habitat, snag, and cavity use in our study area in the Lolo National Forest and provide this information to foresters and land managers who use it to develop best management practices for this and other cavity dependent species. Snowy Owl - Snowy Owls have a circumpolar breeding distribution associated with Arctic tundra. They nest on the ground and, though they are capable of taking a wide variety of prey, they are dependent on lemmings for successful breeding. However, lemming numbers fluctuate widely throughout the Arctic in location and time. Thus, some Snowy Owls may not breed within a given year. When huge numbers of these owls migrate into southern Canada and the northern US, we know they had a good breeding season somewhere, as most of the owls are young, perhaps 5-6 months old. There is no indication that these winter irruptions are spurred by starvation or competition in the Arctic, as long-term winter studies suggest they arrive in good condition.Northern Hawk Owl - Northern Hawk Owls are distributed throughout northern North America and northern Europe. They are associated mostly with spruce forests of low tree density, and often found in boggy-type habitats. At the southern limits of their range, they can be found in mixed coniferous forests and recently-burned forests. When the ORI formally started our Northern Hawk Owl study in 2006, there were seven known nest sites in the lower 48 states. We have since added 15 known nest locations and a total of 29 instances of breeding. Northern Pygmy Owl - Northern Pygmy Owls are associated with a wide variety of coniferous and deciduous forest habitats in western North America. They can occur from near tree line to river bottoms. It was once believed that all owl species hatch their eggs asynchronously (in the order laid). However, some studies suggested Pygmy may hatch eggs synchronously or nearly so. Our observations in 1982 and our present study have confirmed this unusual behavior in Northern Pygmy Owls. Northern Saw-whet Owl Northern Saw-whet Owls are distributed throughout North America in a variety of habitats. They may be the most common and numerous owl species in the United States and Canada. Most breeding information on this species comes from nest box studies. Yet, one must wonder if data from nest box studies are true reflections of data from Saw-whet Owl populations nesting in natural sites, such as woodpecker holes. Indeed, nest boxes are usually placed somewhat systematically and conveniently for a variety of reasons. Natural nest sites may have more random or patchy distribution and may be limited in number. Furthermore, identifying key characteristics of natural nest sites is imperative for forest managers to maintain trees for cavity-nesting owls. Our data suggest different owls use different types of cavities. Our 55 natural Saw-whet Owl nest sites are the most found for this species in North America, and provide valuable data to help forest managers. Boreal Owl - Within North America, Boreal Owls were once thought to nest only in Canada. However, surveys in the 1980s and review of the historical literature suggested otherwise. Today, we know that this species is found throughout the west win high elevation spruce-fir forests from Alaska to New Mexico. There is also evidence they breed in northeastern Canada, and perhaps northern Maine. Like the Northern Saw-whet Owl, most breeding biology information comes from next box studies. We share the same concerns about our Boreal Owl nest box study as those highlighted for Northern Saw-whet Owls. Although interesting, our data may not reflect natural distribution or other aspects of their biology (such as mating systems), due to the artificial establishment of nest boxes. However, nest boxes are used with some predictability, and afford easy access for monitoring and data collection for specific questions, such as growth rates and plumage development. Migration - Northern Saw-whet Owls are well-known to be highly migratory. As with many species of owls, numbers fluctuate widely from year to year and place to place. Whether this species is an irruptive migrant responding to changing prey densities, similar to Snowy or Short-eared Owls, is currently unknown. Nonetheless, large scale migrations are known to occur from time to time. We are now in the 7th year of our Northern Saw-whet Owl migration study. To date we have captured over 1,100 individuals. Most captures (70%) are birds in their first year of life; however, a few individuals (about 5%) can be aged up to three years old or greater. Although recaptures of our previously banded individuals are rare, a few of these records are noteworthy. For example, owls banded here in Montana have been recaptured as far as Chico, CA; two owls were recaptured at Lucky Peak near Boise, ID; and two have been caught almost exactly a year later at the same site. These records are interesting, and over time a collection of these data can help understand the patterns and movements of Northern Saw-whet Owls, and perhaps identify important habitats and migration corridors. Long-eared Owl - The Long-eared Owl is widely distributed in North America. It lives in a wide variety of forest, shrub, and rangeland habitats, but is generally associated with open country. Here it forages on the wind, similar to Short-eared Owls. Unlike the Short-eared Owl, however, the Long-eared Owl is rarely seen, due to its almost exclusive nocturnal habits. Current bird survey methods are not geared to detect this species, so little is known about its population status in Canada and the United States. However, there is data to indicate a population decline. Short-eared Owl - The Short-eared Owl is widely distributed in North America and is associated with open-country habitats such as tundra, grasslands, and rangelands, where it nests and roosts on the ground. Although most tundra habitats appear intact, other habitats such as grasslands and rangelands have been lost or converted for other use. Consequently, Short-eared Owl populations appear to be in significant decline. We continue to work with private landowners and land managers from the US Fish and Wildlife Service to provide information about the locations and timing of Short-eared Owl nests. This information is used to help mitigate disturbance of management activities during the sensitive incubation and chick-rearing periods. EDUCATIONAlthough the ORI is primarily focused on research, we have also shown an ongoing commitment to education. Every year we host a number of experiential learning opportunities for a wide variety of people from kindergarten classrooms to senior citizen groups. These programs include: classroom visits, public lectures, intern 141165 true true false false false false false false false false true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false 0 0 false 3 true false false false false false false false false 0 false false false false false false false false false false X 5 4 false false false false false false false true false false false false false false false false false false false false X DENVER HOLT 4066446412 PO BOX 39 charlo MT 59824 DENVER HOLT President 50.00 0.00 X X 58438 0 0 JOHN LORTIE Vice President 2.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 ROBERT ERICKSON Treasurer 2.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 JOHN BOYLE Secretary 2.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 GEOFFREY ROBERTSON Director 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 58438 0 false false false 0 224331 224331 0 33 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 224364 33 0 0 0 0 58438 43828 8766 5844 0 47383 33168 11846 2369 0 0 7738 5630 1507 601 0 0 2030 2030 0 0 0 3345 3345 0 10663 10314 284 65 274 110 82 82 0 4162 1166 2996 8119 7713 406 0 690 690 0 0 1967 1967 0 VEHICLE EXPENSE 12184 10356 610 1218 SNOWY OWL PROJECT EXPENSES 5513 5513 AWARDS 4598 4598 FOOD 3761 3385 376 9848 9382 388 78 180713 141165 28509 11039 X 534 1457 89280 129476 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 242229 153084 91112 89145 0 0 0 0 1000 3000 181926 223078 8074 5575 8074 5575 X 173852 217503 173852 217503 181926 223078 43651 X false false false X 180309 167935 218915 244500 224331 1035990 0 0 180309 167935 218915 244500 224331 1035990 336324 699666 44 28 24 25 33 154 0 0 1036144 0.67530 0.61850 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 29424 29424 80576 30160 50416 15873 6568 9305 116356 116356 89145 Form 990, Part VI, Line 11b: Form 990 Review Process No review was or will be conducted. Form 990, Part VI, Line 19: Other Organization Documents Publicly Available GOVERNING DOCUMENTS, POLICIES, AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.