Multiscale nest site selection by Burrowing Owls in western South Dakota

Abstract

Abstract Grassland bird species frequently respond to habitat characteristics at multiple spatial scales when selecting nest sites. The Western Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) is a grassland bird species of conservation concern across much of its range, but most studies of its habitat needs have been restricted to relatively small geographical areas and have not integrated multiple spatial scales. Our study examined habitat characteristics at three spatial scales—local (near the burrow), colony, and landscape—across western South Dakota. We searched for Burrowing Owls in 107 prairie dog colonies from May to August 2011. We located nest burrows in owl-occupied colonies, and we randomly selected non-nest burrows in colonies that were not occupied by owls for comparison. We collected data for local habitat variables in the field. Ground truthing and aerial imagery were used to calculate colony and landscape variables. We used logistic regression to identify variables that impacted nest site selec...