nest sweeps Archives - Fiera Biological

Nesting Owls and Land Clearing in Alberta

January 27, 2021

Giving a hoot about owls begins with knowing that the Alberta Wildlife Act protects active raptor nests from any disturbance by people!

Free OWL QUIZ when you finish reading this blog!

January marks the beginning of owl nesting season

Many species of raptor (Owls, Hawks, Eagles, Falcons etc) begin their mating and nesting seasons earlier than most Albertans might think.

Tags: nest sweeps, owl habitat, owl nests, owl survey, Owls
Posted in: Biological Resource Assessments, Environmental Planning, General

You should give a hoot about Owls

February 18, 2020

It’s owl nesting season folks, and here’s why you should give a hoot!

In Alberta, great horned owls can start their mating/nesting as early as January. That’s a pretty crazy time to be thinking about incubating an egg on top of some sticks precariously tangled in the top of a tree, but that’s what these monogamous perching predators are into. Who are we to judge?

Owls, Great Horned Owl Nest. nest surveys, stick nest, wildlife act, migratory birds, raptors, land clearing, vegetation clearing, developments, restricted activity period, nesting season, early nesters, tree stands, raptors, raptor nests, stewardship, consultant, consulting, consult, Edmonton, Alberta, Saskatchewan, — Great Horned Owl Nest. Nesting activity can occur as early as January in Alberta.

Owls on the edge!

When most people think of nests, they think of deep, basket-shaped, feather-lined structures, but the truth for great horned owls can be much different. The platform nests they often prefer leave their eggs and their young exposed to the Alberta elements, that is unless mom is there to keep them incubated and warm. Can you imagine being a nestling, sitting on what amounts to a coffee table mounted on the end of a flagpole while virtually naked, in an Alberta winter windchill? Given those conditions its easy to see why survival of baby owls can be pretty tenuous. Unattended owlets can easily succumb to the elements, or fall prey to ravens, and a host of other predators. Thats why it’s very important that the parents are not disturbed by human activity during the nesting period.

Owls, Great Horned Owl, GHOW, boreal, wildlife surveys, Alberta, Natural Area Site Assessments, Nesting Bird Surveys, broadcast surveys, playback surveys, Wildlife Act, Migratory Bird Act, Point count survey, avian survey, bird survey, Edmonton, Alberta, consultant. — Great Horned Owl

Owl nests are protected

In fact, this is so important for all raptors (owls, hawks, eagles, falcons) that the Alberta Wildlife Act protects active raptor nests from any disturbance by people. That means that any land clearing or industrial activity happening in tree stands or woodlots this time of year (January through May) could not only be causing some dangerously chilly and unhappy baby owls, but could also be a violation of the law! Thats why you should call a professional wildlife biologist for advice before doing any land clearing of tree stands or woodlots this time of year.

Give us a hoot!

Where the heck do you find a professional wildlife biologist? Good question, just contact us, and we will put you in touch with a good one!

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