Altitudinal Migration Movements of Spotted Owls in the Sierra Nevada, California

In this study, I documented a previously unknown, downslope, fall migration in 10 adult Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis) in the central Sierra Nevada, California. The owls began to migrate in mid-October and all had migrated by mid-November. They moved an average of 31 km to the southwest and dropped an average of 754 m in elevation. This migratory movement enabled the owls to establish disjunct winter home ranges below the level of heavy and persistent snow. This seasonal movement complicates the task faced by land management agencies attempting to manage a viable population.