Few Northern Hawk Owls nest in the continental United States (photo by Paul Konrad).

Results of a 22 year study on Northern Hawk Owls – conducted by biologists with the Owl Research Institute and based in post-burned forests in Glacier National Park in northwest Montana – were recently published in the Journal of Raptor Research. This long-term field research provides important information about Northern Hawk Owls that are rarely encountered during the nesting season, with implications for snag conservation in forest management planning.

The authors described this as “One of our most challenging and rewarding projects to date. Working in the incredible landscape of Glacier National Park and interacting with these charismatic, feisty owls is something none of us will ever forget.” The full manuscript is available with journal subscription, or by contacting the Owl Research Institute.

The publication’s citation is: Matt Larson, Jessica Larson, Denver Holt, Steve Gniadek, and Adam Eckert, “The Northern Hawk Owl in Montana: A Summary of Breeding Biology, Diet, Habitat Association, and Records (1994 - 2015),” Journal of Raptor Research 53 (1).

For more information about the Owl Research Institute and their on-going research and outreach projects, see https://www.owlresearchinstitute.org/