The Canadian Field-Naturalist (E-Journal)
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Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) and Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) breeding records in managed boreal forests
Get PDFDuring the 2016 breeding season we monitored 169 nest boxes suitable for Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) and Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) in high-latitude (>55°N) boreal forests of northwestern Alberta affected by partial logging. Despite the large number of boxes deployed, the number of boxes used by Boreal and Northern Saw-whet Owls was small. Boreal Owls used nest boxes (n = 4) in conifer-dominated stands with three being in uncut blocks and the other in a 50% green tree retention cut-block. In contrast, Northern Saw-whet Owls used boxes (n = 4) in a broader range of cover types, breeding in boxes placed in stands with at least 20% post-harvest tree retention. Although both species successfully bred in the same landscape, Boreal Owls produced fewer eggs (mean = 2.5) and raised fewer young (mean = 0.5) than Northern Saw-whet Owls (5 and 2.25, respectively). Furthermore, our observed Boreal Owl egg production was lower than has been found for the same species nesting in nest boxes in different regions or forest types. In contrast, breeding parameters of Northern Saw-whet Owls were similar to that found in nest boxes in the eastern boreal region of Canada and in the southern part of its range
Eastern Coyotes (Canis latrans var.) consuming large ungulates in a multi-ungulate system
Get PDFThe feeding habits of generalist predators often vary among populations and regions. For example, Coyote (Canis latrans), which is a generalist predator distributed across North America, occupies a wide range of habitats and has a highly varied diet. In this observational study, we quantified the presence of mammalian prey items in 50 Eastern Coyote (Canis latrans var.) scats collected in late spring and summer in a private game reserve in southwestern Quebec. Nearly all scats contained hair of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus; 44%), Moose (Alces americanus; 38%), or American Beaver (Castor canadensis; 38%). Although all three species are known to be consumed by coyotes, such a high proportion of Moose and White-tailed Deer simultaneously occurring in the diet of coyotes has not been previously reported. The uniqueness of the study area, with its relatively high abundance of all three prey species, may account for the uniqueness of the diet of Eastern Coyotes living there
Seasonal movements of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia
Get PDFNineteen adult female White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), fitted with very high frequency or global positioning system collars in the Rocky Mountains of southeast British Columbia, exhibited straight-line seasonal movements ranging from <4 km to 109 km. Movement was almost entirely along the floor of both low- and high-elevation valleys, although there was some use of mid-elevation mountainsides during early winter. Spatial locations of deer spanned 891–2234 m above sea level. Seasonal movements of these deer from a single winter range extended to two provinces, three national parks, one provincial park, non-park provincial Crown land, and private land. Deer populations with similar movement patterns may be most effectively managed by considering their extensive movements and coordinating approaches across jurisdictions
Spotless burnsi pattern in Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) in Maine
Get PDFWe document the spotless “burnsi” morph in Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) in Maine
New records of grasshoppers (Orthoptera) from the Northwest Territories
Get PDFWe provide information on two additions to the fauna of Northwest Territories, Canada: Two-striped Grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus) and Huron Short-winged Locust (Melanoplus huroni). We suspect that both are long established but were overlooked in the past as a consequence of general rarity
An assessment of historical records of Wolverine (Gulo gulo) from New Brunswick
Get PDFWe assessed selected historical reports and original archival records of Wolverine (Gulo gulo) in New Brunswick. Wolverine range in the Maritimes region of Canada is based on a widely accepted 1904 report of extant museum skulls from Canterbury Station, New Brunswick, which is discounted here. However, we report at least 15 pelt export records from the 18th century and conclude that Wolverines appear to have been uncommon, but present, over much of New Brunswick until at least 1794, and seem to have been extirpated from the province by the middle of the 19th century
