Assessing the status and conservation priorities of the short-eared owl in North America

Publication Type:

Journal Article

Authors:

Booms, Travis L.; Holroyd, Geoffrey L.; Gahbauer, Marcel A.; Trefry, Helen E.; Wiggins, David A.; Holt, Denver W.; Johnson, James A.; Lewis, Stephen B.; Larson, Matt D.; Keyes, Kristen L.; Swengel, Scott

Source:

Journal of Wildlife Management, The Wildlife Society, Volume 78, Issue 5, p.772-778 (2014)

Call Number:

A14BOO01IDUS

URL:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jwmg.719/abstract,

Keywords:

Asio flammeus, grassland, Short-eared Owl, SWAP

Abstract:

The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Christmas Bird Count, and regional and national conservation assessments provide convincing evidence that the short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) is experiencing a range-wide, long-term decline in abundance in North America. However, the species has received little conservation or research attention. The short-eared owl is vulnerable to decline because it relies heavily on large, intact grasslands and a specialized diet of unpredictable small mammal prey. The species’ nomadic movements compound these vulnerabilities by making a decline difficult to detect with current monitoring programs while obfuscating stewardship responsibilities for managers. The primary threat to the species is loss, fragmentation, and degradation of large tracts of native grasslands and wetlands. The authors propose the following conservation priorities to better understand and begin addressing the short-eared owl’s decline: 1) better define and protect important habitats; 2) improve population monitoring; 3) determine seasonal and annual movements; 4) re-evaluate NatureServe’s short-eared owl national vonservation classifications; 5) develop management plans and tools; and 6) classify raptors, including short-eared owls, as migratory birds in Canada. The authors contend that the short-eared owl’s need for habitat conservation at large spatial scales, status as a predator, and high reproductive potential that affords the species capacity to recover, make it an effective and useful candidate as an umbrella species for grassland conservation.

Notes:

Location: ELECTRONIC FILE - Zoology

SWAP (2/19/2015) citation:
Booms TL, Holroyd GL, Gahbauer MA, Trefry HE, Wiggins DA, Holt DW, Johnson JA, Lewis SB, Larson MD, Keyes KL, et al. 2014. Assessing the status and conservation priorities of the short-eared owl in North America. [accessed 2015 Nov 19]; Journal of Wildlife Management. 78(5):772–778. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.719