Owl Update 5/17/2023

Last week we mentioned entering the tail-end of the Long-eared Owl (LEOW) migration this spring — when the adult numbers drop off and many of the previous year’s young come through. Although young LEOW outnumbered adults 19:6 this past week, their overall numbers are low this spring. We’ve also only banded three LEOW in the past five nights, indicating that their migration period is effectively coming to its conclusion this spring.

Even in late May, any given night at WPBO can produce an exciting surprise, but it looks like Northern Saw-whet Owls (NSWO) are the only species we can expect in any significant numbers for the remainder of the season. Although they have picked up slightly from their low point in late April and early May, they mostly occur in single digits each night. Hopefully, they will produce the small late-May spike we’ve experienced in past years.

We banded the first Eastern Whip-poor-will (EWPW) of the season; seeing their incredible cryptic plumage up close is always a treat. We are usually lucky enough to band at least one each spring, but if not, we always hear them — the first of which stops us in our tracks as we excitedly listen to their amazing calls.

We also caught a bat this week, which we were happy to see. Silver-haired bat numbers have crashed here in the last decade, and more often than not, we don’t catch any in a season.

Eastern Whip-poor-will. Photo by Chris Neri

Season Totals to Date of Banded Owls
Northern Saw-whet Owls: 556
Long-eared Owls: 153
Boreal Owls: 2
Barred Owls: 18
Total owls banded: 729

Season Totals to Date of Recaptured Owls
Northern Saw-whet Owls: 43
Barred Owls: 2
Long-eared Owls: 2

~ Chris Neri & Nova Mackentley
2023 Spring Owl Banders