Owls - Sounds Wild
Shorteared owls

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Short eared owls

Short eared owls are medium-sized, ground-nesting owls. They're widespread throughout Interior Alaska, but biologists would like to learn more about their numbers, population trends, and migratory habits. Across North America numbers of short eared owls have declined about 70 percent over past 40 years, but they're pretty secure in Alaska because there is a lot of good habitat.

Short eared owls face most threats on their wintering grounds outside Alaska, largely because grassland habitats are converted to farms or subdivisions. Biologists are eager to learn where the owls that spend summers in Interior Alaska are spending the winters, and learn what problems they may face on their wintering grounds.

Fish and Game biologist Travis Booms worked in the Nome area with federal Fish and Wildlife Service biologists to equip 14 short-eared owls with tracking devices; small, solar-powered, backpack-style satellite transmitters.

Short-eared owls are relatively active during the day and favor open country. They roost in open areas and grassy flats, so during the day the transmitter can send a signal and the small battery can charge. "With these transmitters, we can follow them worldwide," Booms said.

As of late-October, all the owls had left the Nome area and flown east and then south. One had made it as far as Nebraska, another South Dakota, and six had moved into southern Canada. One flew hundreds of miles out over the Pacific Ocean. Booms and his colleagues are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to learn where these birds spend the winter.