Screech Owl Trapped Inside Fallen Roost Tree
SCREECH OWL TRAPPED INSIDE FALLEN ROOST TREE
by
Daniel T. Walsh and Dwight G. Smith
Biology Department
Southern Connecticut State University
New Haven, Connecticut 06515
Although the Screech Owl (Otu) habitually roosts in cavities in dead or partially dead trees, little information is available on mortality related to the felling of roost trees; e.g. Sutton (Auh 44:563-564) reported only one of I 11 cases of known mortality due to felling of a tree (apparently by man). Sixteen of 82 (19.5) Screech Owl tree cavity roost sites we located during an 8 year study in southern Connecticut were in dead snags or partially dead trees. Eight of these have since been destroyed by storms or as a consequence of natural decay. A known cavity roost in East Haven, Connecticut was visited on 19 December 1979. The cavity opening was about 0.1 m from the top of a 3.5 m dead pignut hickory (Carya glabra) trunk. A subsequent visit on 27 December at 1620 EST showed that the trunk had fallen with the cavity opening face down, leaving an owl trapped inside. During an effort to roll the trunk, the back wall of the cavity collapsed, allowing the owl to escape. The owl appeared uninjured,judging from its unhindered flight. Prior to this incident, an owl at this station had regularly responded to playback of tape-recorded Screech Owl calls. Following this incident, all attempts to elicit responses were unsuccessful and we suspect that the owl had abandoned that territory.
We thank Richard J. Clark for suggestions regarding this note.
Present Address: Zoology Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602.
