Abstract
Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) is a medium-sized forest owl of conservation concern in the Pacific Northwest of North America. We report two sightings of previously unreported parental behaviour: a Northern Spotted Owl feeding avian nestlings to its young and a Northern Spotted Owl defending a fledgling against a Black Bear (Ursus americanus). Further research may be warranted on the influence of brood size and habitat quality on dietary breadth. Although Black Bears have not been previously documented as Northern Spotted Owl predators, we suggest that they should be considered potential predators of nestling and fledgling owls.
Highlights
Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) is a medium-sized owl native to western portions of northern California, Oregon, Washington, and southern British Columbia
United States federal agencies conduct regular monitoring of Northern Spotted Owls in areas that may be altered by management activity under a protocol established by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS 2012)
We report two observations of previously unreported parental behaviours recorded during sanctioned nest monitoring activities: a Northern Spotted Owl feeding avian nestlings to its young and a Northern Spotted Owl defending its fledgling against a Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
Summary
Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) is a medium-sized owl native to western portions of northern California, Oregon, Washington, and southern British Columbia. We report two observations of previously unreported parental behaviours recorded during sanctioned nest monitoring activities: a Northern Spotted Owl feeding avian nestlings to its young and a Northern Spotted Owl defending its fledgling against a Black Bear (Ursus americanus). On 26 June 2014, we observed a Northern Spotted Owl feeding avian nestlings to its young.
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