A method for locating Barred Owl (Strix varia) nests in the southern boreal forest of Saskatchewan

Barred Owl (Strix varia) nests are often very difficult to locate. We developed a method for locating Barred Owl nests within the boreal forest of central Saskatchewan, Canada. During the nesting period, we located pairs of Barred Owls through call-playback surveys. We returned to the survey location at sunset and listened for vocalizations from the pair. These vocalizations often occurred near the nest, providing an estimate of its location. The following day, prospective-looking nest trees in the area were hit with a stick in order to flush the incubating owl. We searched for seven nests this way, locating five or 71.5 percent of them.