Eastern Screech-owl surveys in the major physiographic provinces of West Virginia.

Abstract

Knowledge of species distribution and abundance in a given management region is critical for allocating conservation resources and making related decisions. While broadly abundant, information on the Eastern Screech-owl (EASO) in West Virginia is lacking, with no significant statewide survey work conducted for the species. To determine the distribution of EASO in WV, a survey was conducted using major physiographic provinces as study regions. Callback survey methods were used at a minimum of 50 points in each region, and points without responses were revisited once to confirm absence. Site selection was based on convenience and safety, with varied habitats being targeted across each region. EASO response time, behavior, abiotic conditions, and locality data were recorded for each point. Across 411 sites, 84.67% had at least one EASO response. Callback response time was 4.14 minutes ± 2.84 min. Results suggest that EASO is prevalent across geographic provinces in WV, and that future callback surveys may utilize a ten-minute call time when the goal is 95% detection of responsive owls.