Petit Manan Owl Monitoring Station

Monitoring the migration of Northern Saw-whet and Long-eared Owls in Downeast Maine since 2015

The Petit Manan owl migration station is a collaborative effort of Project Owlnet with Maine Natural History Observatory.  David Brinker is the principal investigator.  This station is one of many along the Eastern seaboard that tracks owls during fall migration.  Project Owlnet has been facilitating communication, cooperation, and innovation among owl migration researchers in North America and beyond since 1994. 

It is almost exclusively Northern Saw-whet owls that are observed at the Petit Manan Point station with the occasional Long-eared Owl.  Saw-whets appear to be declining globally but more research is needed to understand the extent and causes of these population changes. 

Red Pins: Owls banded elsewhere that were observed at the Petit Manan Point station.

Green Pins: Owls banded at the station that were observed elsewhere before 31 December.

Yellow Pins: Owls banded at the station that were observed elsewhere often more than a year later.

Volunteer

Send us an email at info@mainenaturalhistory.org If you are interested in volunteering at the station.  Volunteers need to be willing to travel, stay up late, and commit to a regular schedule of volunteering during the month of October.  We supply the owls – you supply the enthusiasm!

Learn More

Want to learn more about Maine owls?  Check out the webinar by Observatory Ecologist, Logan Parker, on owl monitoring in Maine.

Brinker, David F., and Kevin M. Dodge. “Breeding Biology of the Northern Saw-Whet Owl in Maryland: First Nest Record and Associated Observations.” Maryland Birdlife , Maryland Ornithological Society, vol 49, no. 1-4, 1993, pp. 3-15