About This Project
Building on ongoing Burrowing Owl habitat enhancement and monitoring efforts in the Kern River Valley, we will deploy miniature radio transmitters to investigate seasonal movements, breeding-site fidelity, and habitat use across heterogeneous landscapes in Southern California.
Ask the Scientists
Join The DiscussionWhat is the context of this research?
Do Burrowing Owls return to the same breeding territories, where do they go outside the breeding season, and how does landscape heterogeneity influence their movements?
What is the significance of this project?
Burrowing Owls are nesting in artificial burrows, but their seasonal movements remain a mystery. I want to discover where they go, whether they return, and what influences their decisions.
What are the goals of the project?
Expand ongoing owl monitoring with radio telemetry to document seasonal movements, habitat use, and breeding-site fidelity, and explore connectivity across the Kern River Valley.
Budget
We request $10,000 to expand ongoing Burrowing Owl monitoring efforts in the Kern River Valley into a study of seasonal movements, habitat use, and breeding-site fidelity. Most of the award ($6,000) will fund the purchase of 20 miniature CTT BlūBird radio transmitters to track individual owls across breeding and nonbreeding periods. An additional $3,000 will support two field surveyors for bird capture, tagging, and monitoring. The remaining $1,000 will support conference registration and travel to present our findings at the San Joaquin Valley Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Existing regional telemetry infrastructure and field research experience will help maximize the scientific value of this award. No institutional indirect costs are requested.
Project Timeline
Jun 30, 2027
Capture and radio-tag up to 20 Burrowing Owls at Hanning Flat, the Kern River Preserve, and other suitable locations in the Kern River Valley.
Dec 31, 2027
Collect telemetry detections, document seasonal movements and habitat use, and conduct preliminary analyses of movement patterns across the landscape.
Jun 30, 2028
Monitor nesting territories during the following breeding season to investigate site fidelity and potential breeding dispersal of previously tagged owls.
Sep 30, 2028
Complete data analyses and prepare project deliverables, including movement maps, detection histories, and a summary of preliminary findings.
Apr 30, 2029
Present findings at the San Joaquin Valley Chapter of The Wildlife Society or another appropriate scientific meeting.
Meet the Team
Affiliates
Edwin Jacobo
Career stage: Early-career researcher (PhD) and land manager.
Why I care about science: I am fascinated by how birds move through changing landscapes and how studying their behavior can reveal ecological connections that would otherwise remain hidden.
Lab Notes
Nothing posted yet.
Additional Information
movement ecology; landscape ecology; behavioral ecology; ornithology; habitat selection
Project Backers
- 0Backers
- 100%Funded
- $10,000Total Donations
- $0Average Donation