days with the longest courtship periods found for unpaired males. 

 The variability in boreal owl calling activity shows that we can 

 not effectively determine population dynamics of the boreal owl in 

 the Little Belts from 1 survey season. 



CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 



This survey confirms that boreal owls are present in the 

 Little Belt Mountains and expands the known range of the boreal owl 

 into the isolated mountain ranges of central Montana. Hayward 

 (1987) noted that the potential vulnerability of local populations 

 to extinction depends upon the degree of interchange among demes. 

 Determining and providing for the required degree of interchange 

 may be especially important to populations in isolated mountain 

 ranges such as the Little Belts. Boreal owls may also be present in 

 the other isolated mountain ranges of central Montana such as the 

 Crazy, Castle, Snowy and Judith Mountains. Surveys in the proper 

 habitats in these mountain ranges would be beneficial to determine 

 the eastern extent of boreal owls in Montana and the geographical 

 relationship of boreal owl populations to one another. 



Further investigations into the exact vegetative composition 

 of the stands owls were located in would be beneficial. Since 

 boreal owls generally use only conifer snags over 21" diameter at 

 breast height in forested stands as nesting cavities (Hayv/ard 

 1990) , an upper size limit for conifers cut for firewood in high 

 elevation areas may be considered. Small mammal surveys should also 

 be conducted to determine the small mammal species occupying the 



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