Breeding Season Home Range Placement, Activity Patterns And Habitat Use Of The Northern Saw-Whet Owl (AEGOLIUS ACADICUS) In The Southern Appalachian Mountains

The northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus), the smallest owl in eastern North America, was not known to be a breeding season resident of the southern Appalachian region until chance encounters by naturalists during the 1940's verified the owl's presence in the region during the Spring, thus suggesting a potential for the presence of breeding populations. Almost sixty years later, the saw-whet's presence as a breeding bird in the southern Appalachians is verified from only a handful of nest records . . . The focus of this study is to better understand the owl's level of dependence on the boreal spruce-fir and to provide a basis for predicting impacts to regional saw-whet populations with the impending loss of habitat.