ADOPT AN OWL!
Adopt a Northern Saw-whet Owl and assist Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory's efforts in monitoring migrating bird populations. Help support one of the busiest Northern Saw-whet Owl migration monitoring stations in North America as we continue to study where these owls winter, and how they get there.
Fall 2007 was a unique banding season for us at the observatory. Migrant birds of all species poured into our nets, but none so frequently as the Northern Saw-whet Owl. By the end of the season we had banded 1518 sawwhets, the most done in a season at a single station anywhere in North America! This total is approximately twice the number of saw-whets we normally band during the fall.
On the night of 12-13 October, we banded an amazing 236 saw-whets, most between 1:00 and 3:30 am. This is the highest number of saw-whets ever captured in a night by anyone, anywhere! Including that night, we had four nights with over 100 owls banded: 158 on 30 Sept., 102 on 4 Oct., 135 on 11 Oct., and 236 on 13 Oct..
Why such a surge in saw-whet numbers around PEPtBO, you ask? This is likely due to the fact that 2006 was a good breeding season for saw-whets due to high vole populations up north. Seventy percent of the sawwhets netted this fall were hatch-year birds, while 23% were second-year, and 7% after-second-year in age. With all this movement we had several same season recoveries. Our birds were trapped in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
How You Can Participate!
You can adopt a Northern Saw-whet Owl for your children, grandchildren, friends, or for yourself for $50.00 plus $10 shipping and handling costs.
For this you will receive:
• An original, matted 8x10 photograph
of your adopted owl, including its individual band number
• A guarantee that you will be notified and provided with an update if
your adopted owl is recovered
• A Charitable tax receipt for $40.00
To adopt a Northern Saw-whet Owl, please download the following PDF form and send it with your payment made payable to:
Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory,
Attention: Judy Kent
P.O. Box 20055 Picton, ON K0K 3V0.
If you require futher information address your questions to:
Adopt An Owl Program