This past week we experienced what will likely be this summer’s peak night. On July 18, we banded 49 Northern Saw-whet Owls (NSWO) and one Long-eared Owl. Of the saw-whets banded that night, 46 were juveniles and three were adults. This represents one of the most productive summer nights we have ever experienced. The following night we banded 37 more NSWO, 36 juveniles and one adult, and another long-eared. All told, we banded 125 NSWO and three long-eareds this past week.
One of the week’s Long-eared Owls.
Season Totals of Banded Owls
Northern Saw-whet Owls: 324
Long-eared Owls: 7
Total Owls: 331
~ Chris Neri & Tim Baerwald
2024 Summer Owl Banders
You can read the owl banders’ weekly blog posts and follow WPBO’s social media (Facebook, Instagram, and X) for owl banding highlights this season.
The summer owl banding season runs from July 1 through August 25.
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. For the safety of the owls, flash photography and recording video is prohibited.
