Post-fledging dispersal of burrowing owls in southwestern Idaho: Characterization of movements and use of satellite burrows

Using radiotelemetry, we monitored dispersing juvenile Western Burrowing Ow ls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) within a migratory population in southwest ern Idaho during 1994 and 1995. Owls remained within natal areas for an ave rage (+/- SE) of 58 +/- 3.4 days post-hatching before moving permanently be yond 300 m, which was our operational cutoff for dispersal from the natal a rea. On average. owls dispersed on 27 July (range: 15 July to 22 August), w hich was approximately 4 weeks after fledging. After initiating dispersal, juveniles continued moving farther away from their natal burrows and, by 61 -65 days post-hatching, they had moved 0.6 +/- 0.2 km. Each juvenile used 5 .1 +/- 1.2 satellite burrows, and individual satellite burrows were used fo r up to 14 days. The average date on which we last sighted radio-tagged juv eniles was 13 August, and all but one juvenile departed the study area by e arly September. Our study illustrates the importance of satellite burrows t o dispersing Burrowing Owls.