2015-08-14T09:11:10-07:00 2014-12-31 Boyle Deveny & Meyer PC 305 South 4th East Suite 200 Missoula MT 59801 990 2014-01-01 810453479 OWL RESEARCH INSTITUTE INC OWLR 4066446412 PO BOX 39 CHARLO MT 59824 DENVER HOLT President 2015-08-14 true CHRISTINA TWOHIG CPA P00542354 4067213555 2014 2016-04-25 22:37:26Z DENVER HOLT PO BOX 39 CHARLO MT 598240039 218939 false false X WWW.OWLINSTITUTE.ORG X 1998 MT RESEARCH AND PUBLIC EDUCATION ON OWLS AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION 5 4 3 100 0 167935 218915 0 28 24 0 167963 218939 0 0 139995 136335 0 13813 61882 55201 201877 191536 -33914 27403 131941 158019 6277 4952 125664 153067 RESEARCH AND PUBLIC EDUCATION ON OWLS AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION false false 146241 The Owl Research Institute is dedicated to wildlife conservation through research and education. Our efforts occur primarily in Montana, and secondarily in Alaska.ResearchBarn Owl- We completed our 10th season of Barn Owl study. Although Barn Owls were seen in several barns, buildings, and natural sites, zero nests were found. Whether the owls shifted locations or did not breed is unknown. Flammulated Owl- For the 7th season, Flammulated Owls were found singing in the hills above Missoula. We found two nests and a number of other occupied territories. For the third year in a row Flammulated Owls have been found nesting in the same cavity high in a live Ponderosa Pine. We banded all four chicks and the female from this nest. A second nest was found in a nest box. This was the second consecutive year that chicks fledged from this box. Neither the male nor the female were previously banded. Our nest site and distribution data is helping the Forest Service write the environmental analysis for proposed management activities on the Lolo National Forest. Snowy Owl- Finishing the 23rd season, our Snowy Owl Breeding Ecology and Lemming Population study in Barrow, Alaska is the second longest study of its kind in the world. The season started out great and we found 20 nests in the first 2 weeks. Given the number of nests, lemmings must have been numerous and easy to catch in early May. That all changed rather quickly, as lemmings either declined or never reached their potential. With the disappearance of lemmings, some owl nests were abandoned, while in other nests, most nestlings starved to death. It was one of the most dismal breeding performances in 23 years of research. However, some chicks did fledge. We continue advocating that Snowy Owls and Brown Lemmings are indicators of a healthy Arctic environment in our study area. And, that these species can be used to monitor effects of Arctic climate change. ORI staff and co-authors finished the Snowy Owl species account for the Birds of North America project. It is in final editing and expected to be published in 2015 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. See recent publications list.Northern Hawk Owl- In our 9th season, and despite a relatively low survey effort, we found one nest on the west side of GNP. The nest was in the same cavity used and abandoned in 2012. Both adults were caught and banded, and 5 chicks fledged. We also trapped and banded an owl on the east side of the park, but did not find a nest. However, later in the season recently fledged chicks where observed in the same area. Interestingly, we have now banded around 60 Hawk-owls in GNP and have only recaptured one. One must wonder how many hawk owls either live in the park, or travel to and from the park. This project was featured on Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Outdoor Report with Winston Greely. Northern Pygmy Owl- Although our breeding season study began in 1981, it was not organized until 1985. We are researching nest site characteristics with colleagues from Montana and have now documented 31 natural nest sites. We hope these data will be important for forest management snag retention policies. Along with our reproductive success study, we have also begun to record growth rates and plumage development. Boreal Owl- Venturing into the mountains in search of Boreal Owls is often a practice in misadventure and the 20th year of our Boreal Owl nest box study proved to be both exciting and productive. Amidst snowmobiles breaking down miles from the parking area, cars and trucks getting stuck in the snow, flat tires, snowstorms, and thunderstorms we located three nests.. All nests were successful and 13 chicks and 2 females were banded. The third female was already banded. She was originally caught two years prior in a different, but nearby, nest box. Our records of site fidelity and natal philopatry, though rare, are important to understanding the life history of Boreal Owls. To date, ORI has found 31 nests and banded about 80 owls, mostly nestlings and females. After the breeding season, we spent some time cleaning out and fixing broken boxes. Northern Saw-whet Owl- As with the Pygmy Owls, this study also began in 1981, but was not organized until 1985. We have located 48 natural nest sites and have had the owls use several nest boxes. Interestingly, we have documented nests from cottonwood treed valley bottoms at about 3000 elevation through mixed coniferous forest to about 7,000 elevation. The owls appear to habitat generalists occurring in all forest types we survey. We have been recording reproductive success, growth rates, and plumage development over the years.Northern Saw-whet Owl Migration Study- While not like the big years weve experienced in the past, nightly numbers from our 4th autumn migration season project were steady, and total numbers were higher than 2013. At the time of this writing, we have banded 121 owls at this site. We also recaptured two previously banded individuals. One owl was banded almost exactly one year prior. The other owls origin is currently unknown. We hosted two public lectures at the banding station and were pleased with the response and turnout for each night. To the delight of all, the weather was amiable as we shared our research and a few close encounters with wild owls.Long-eared Owl- Our year-round Long-eared Owl study, now entering its 28th year, is one of the worlds longest running studies of this species. We have recorded 235 nests and banded over 1750 individuals. After a good breeding year in 2012, 2013 and 2014 were low. Long-eared Owl numbers continue to decrease in our study area, and also along one of their major migration sites in Duluth, MN. The reasons remain unknown. According to recent population estimates for owls in Canada and United States, the Long-eared Owl population estimate is the lowest for any owl species that regularly breeds in Canada and U.S. We encourage all states and provinces to initiate breeding and wintering surveys for Long-eared Owls.Our paper using plumage color to sex Long-eared Owls will appear in 2015. Short-eared Owl- Although we have steadily increased our attention towards Short-eared Owls over the past several years, we significantly ramped up our efforts in 2014. We embarked on a collaborative effort with the Alaska Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Global Owl Project to attach satellite transmitters to breeding Short-eared Owls in the Mission Valley. This project arose from discussions with Travis Booms (AK DFW) who found Short-eared Owls tagged in Nome, AK to spend winter in parts of Montana, Idaho, Colorado, and the Dakotas. Four nests were located, two of which successfully fledged chicks. We deployed two satellite transmitters on breeding adult females, but more importantly, we were able to grapple with the logistics of the project and familiarize ourselves with the amount of effort this undertaking will require going forward. We co-authored a paper on the Decline and Conservation of North American Short-eared Owl in 2014. EducationLIVE OWL CAMS- This was our second season with conservation partner Explore.org (www.explore.org). We launched three live web cameras in 2014. For the second season in a row, we set a camera on Great Horned Owl and Long-eared Owl nests in western Montana. The cameras were outfitted with infra-red systems, and microphone. As in 2013, hundreds of thousands of people viewed the cameras, and we were once again able to peer into the nocturnal lives of these owls 24/7. We also set a live Camera on a Snowy Owl nest in Barrow, AK. We believe this is the first ever for this species. Camera specialists Tim and Tiffany Sears, of IP Video Specialists (www.ipvsinc.com) along with ORI crews braved the 20 degree weather over several days to complete the operation. We then worked closely with Explore and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. We were overwhelmed with the immediate response to the Snowy Owl camera. Within the first week, the camera attracted over 200,000 visits. Cornell recorded tens of thousands of hits and visits to the Snowy Owl social media accounts. We even answered viewers questions during two, one hour live chats from the tundra by iphone, with the Cornell Lab. As with the Great Horned and Long-eared owl cameras in 2013, we gained much insight into parental behaviors of the male and female Snowy Owl. For example, we observed the female move her family behind the nest mound for many days to protect them from strong cold easterly winds. This IS a rarely observed behavior. These cameras joined the collection of fascinating wildlife cameras that Explore.org has initiated worldwide as part of its Pearls of the Planet series. Pearls of the Planet has given the ORI a new avenue to share our research with the public and provide wildlife education. We look forward to continuing this partnership and providing this service in 2015. Visit our website for the latest news about our owl cameras. 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