2016-11-14T09:45:33-08:00 2015-12-31 Boyle Deveny & Meyer PC 305 South 4th East Suite 200 Missoula MT 59801 990 2015-01-01 810453479 OWL RESEARCH INSTITUTE INC OWLR 4066446412 PO BOX 39 CHARLO MT 59824 DENVER HOLT President 2016-11-14 true CHRISTINA TWOHIG CPA P00542354 4067213555 2015 2017-02-10 21:41:12Z DENVER HOLT PO BOX 39 CHARLO MT 598240039 244525 false false X WWW.OWLINSTITUTE.ORG X 1998 MT PROMOTE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION THROUGH RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. 5 4 3 20 0 218915 244500 0 24 25 0 218939 244525 0 0 136335 149790 0 14427 55201 73950 191536 223740 27403 20785 158019 181926 4952 8074 153067 173852 PROMOTE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION THROUGH RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. false false 173400 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.RESEARCHBarn 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 2015. 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 found two nests in 2015: one in a cavity that had been used the previous three years and another in an area where weve suspected, but never found, a nest. 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 - Our 24th year studying Snowy Owls on the North Slope of Alaska was a rather uneventful one. We found three nests and a handful of non-breeding owls in our study area outside of Barrow. Brown Lemmings, the Snowy Owls principal prey in the Arctic, were scarce to begin the breeding season, but local populations appeared to be trending upward heading into the fall. We recently revised the Snowy Owl account for the Cornell Lab of Ornithologys Birds of North America (http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/) and our research was highlighted in Living Bird and GeoMagazine (Germany). See LONG-TERM RESEARCH SECTION for more news on our Snowy Owl Project.Northern Hawk Owl - 2015 marked the 10th year of our Northern Hawk Owl study in and around Glacier National Park (GNP). Hawk Owls have been observed in GNP every year since 2005 and we have evidence of breeding in all but one of those years (2008). We found one nest in 2015, outside of St. Marys on the east side of the park. Apparently, only a single chick fledged from this nest. Although we have evidence that Hawk Owls have bred on the east side of the park (i.e. found recently fledged chicks), this was the first documented nest site east of the divide in GNP. We also hosted Adam Eckert from Principia College (Elsah, IL) for the second summer. Adam is working with us on a senior capstone project modeling the ecological habitat niche of the Northern Hawk Owl. He spent the summer working with our breeding data in Montana and helping us complete our field work for almost every other project. Were looking forward to working with Adam as his project continues to develop.Northern Pygmy Owl and Northern Saw-whet Owl - Thanks in large part to the dedication and hard work of Steve Hiro, we found and monitored two Pygmy Owl and two Northern Saw-whet Owl nests in 2015. Finding natural nests for these small, cavity-nesting owls can be a true challenge. Since 1995, weve documented 33 Pygmy Owl and 54 Saw-whet Owl nests in Montana. This collection of nest records is one of the largest data sets for either species. We are currently working on a manuscript describing natural nest sites used by these two small forest owls. Boreal Owl - In 22 years of monitoring nest boxes for Boreal Owls, there has only been one year with as many nests as 2015. As was the case in 1997, five nests kept us plenty busy up on the pass this past year. We also added a record of site fidelity, as a banded female was found using the same box for the second year in a row. Encounters like this are quite rare weve now banded nearly 120 individuals from 36 nests and only have a small handful of documented instances of natal philopatry or female site fidelity. Our manuscript describing these records is ready for submission. Migration - Although fellow banders in Canada and Idaho have reported strong numbers during this years Saw-whet Owl migration, here in Montana its been relatively slow. To date weve captured around 70 Northern Saw-whet Owls. We did have one individual who was captured and banded in Missoula in late September that found its way to Lucky Peak Bird Observatory outside of Boise, ID and was recaptured there in the first week of October. Recaptures and encounters like this are rare. Individually, these records are interesting, but over time a collection of these data can help understand the patterns and movements of Northern Saw-whet Owls and perhaps identify important habitats. Long-eared Owl - Entering the 30th year of our Long-eared Owl research in western Montana, we have banded over 1,800 individuals and found over 220 nests. This past year we found and monitored five nests in Missoula. Last winter was another interesting one. During fall and early winter trapping, we observed some large roosts and good numbers throughout our study area. Then a few weeks of freeze-thaw events turned the snow cover to a very hard crust. With cold weather and hard snow most of our study area was devoid of Long-eared Owls until early spring. One nest was again observed around the clock and across the world via the webcam and partnership with Explore.org (see WEBCAM SECTION FOR MORE INFO). Short-eared Owl - The second season of our Short-eared Owl Telemetry project was both fruitful and disappointing. We found five nests and attached two transmitters to breeding females. Both females were observed back on their nest several days after being fitted with the backpack-style harnesses used to secure the transmitters, but both these nests and the remaining three failed to fledge young. Although we can only speculate as to why Short-eared Owls in our study area had such a tough go this year, it was worth noting that all the nest failures coincided with an extended period of high temperatures in western Montana. We continue to work with private landowners and land managers from the U.S 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 for Short-eared Owls. 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, internships, Days in the Field, workshops and field classes. We emphasize the importance of adult education and try to engage folks interested in furthering their understanding of wildlife research and conservation. We are dedicated to publishing and disseminating our research results through scientific peer-reviewed journals, but the value of presenting our findings to the public cannot be overstated. It is a main tenet of our mission.Volunteers are an integral part of the ORI and have contributed thousands of hours to our programs. We are enormously grateful for their support, and could not achieve our goals without them. Volunteers participate in research, managing data, facilities and equipment maintenance, building a foundation for high-quality programs for the public, and assist in presentations. In turn, we offer volunteers valuable hands-on field experience, public communication, and recognition. This year, volunteers came from the University of Montana, Montana Conservation Corps, Raptor View Research, and citizens at large.Each year, we host a number of interns who are typically high school or undergraduate students. The overall objective is to provide a deeper understanding of wildlife research field methods, study design, life history traits, and the importance of long-term study and monitoring. In addition, students often participate in literature searches and data analysis. Occasionally, they take the lead in their own projects. A typical internship lasts one field season. This year we were happy to host Taylor King, Hannah Myers, and Garrett Visser from the University of Montana, as well as welcome back Adam Eckert of Principia College, Elsah, IL. For over 20 years, we have provided an opportunity for the public to join us for a Day in the Field. These donations typically go to schools, community groups, or charitable fundraisers. These groups receive the donation and we provide their donors with a day in the field, observing and learning about research, natural history, and wildlife conservation. In 2015 recipients included: Glacier National Park Conservancy; San Diego State University; University of Texas 173400 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 40.00 0.00 X X 61686 0 0 JOHN LORTIE Vice President 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 ROBERT ERICKSON Treasurer 1.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 JOHN BOYLE Secretary 10.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 GEOFFREY ROBERTSON Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 61686 0 false false false 0 244500 244500 0 25 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 244525 25 0 0 0 0 61687 46265 9253 6169 0 73025 51118 18256 3651 0 1252 876 313 63 13826 9995 2823 1008 0 0 2205 2205 0 0 0 789 789 0 8263 6822 408 1033 1663 665 499 499 0 1754 564 1190 4514 4288 226 0 479 479 0 0 2065 2065 0 VEHICLE EXPENSE 17732 15072 887 1773 BOOKS & SUPPLIES 15212 15212 SNOWY OWL PROJECT EXPENSES 12319 12319 DUES & FEES 3441 3441 3514 3430 79 5 223740 173400 35913 14427 X 3587 534 55255 89280 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 242229 151117 93177 91112 0 0 0 0 6000 1000 158019 181926 8074 4952 4952 8074 X 153067 173852 153067 173852 158019 181926 20785 X false false false X 201505 180309 167935 218915 244500 1013164 0 0 201505 180309 167935 218915 244500 1013164 386428 626736 103 44 28 24 25 224 0 0 1013388 0.61850 0.62670 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 29424 29424 80576 28591 51985 15873 6170 9703 116356 116356 91112 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.