As expected, things remained relatively slow this past week. That said, it was a little more productive than the previous week. Our nightly totals ranged from two to seven owls. Of the 31 owls banded this week, 29 were juvenile Northern Saw-whet Owls (NSWO), one was an adult NSWO, and one was a Long-eared Owl. This summer, we’ve noticed that the juvenile saw-whets molt into their adult plumage is behind schedule this year. It is not uncommon for us to still catch some saw-whets in full juvenile plumage at this time of the year, but a good percentage of them are typically molting in their adult facial discs and body plumage by this date. Only three of this week’s juveniles had advanced to the stage of molt we are used to seeing in mid-August. These birds have been in decent shape, so we’re guessing the breeding season may have just been a little late this year. The photos below show two juveniles banded last night. The left bird is still in full juvenile plumage. The bird on the right has molted in many of its adult earflap and facial disc feathers. It also has two tracts of adult breast feathers coming in.
Two juvenile Northern Saw-whet Owls banded on August 16. The owl on the left is in full juvenile plumage. The owl on the right has molted in many adult feathers on its head, along with two breast tracts.
~ Chris Neri & Cory Gregory
WPBO 2022 Summer Owl Banders
You can read Chris and Cory’s weekly blog posts and follow WPBO’s social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) for owl banding highlights this season.
Owl Banding Presentations — Visitors may observe owls that have been banded on Friday and Saturday evenings from dusk until midnight. Please note that banding is weather dependent and it is at the banders’ discretion to cancel banding accordingly. Observation will be limited to outdoors only and we encourage participants to wear masks and continue to practice social distancing whenever possible. For the safety of the owls, flash photography and recording video is prohibited.
