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opportunistic. Conversely, the lack of evidence 
for scavenging by owls might represent lack of 
attention by researchers. Most owls forage 
nocturnally within forests, making it difficult for 
humans to monitor their behavior in real time. 
Common techniques for studies of owl diets, such 
as analysis of owl pellets or stomach contents, do 
not easily lend themselves to ascertaining whether 
prey were killed versus scavenged (DeVault et al. 
2003). 
To our knowledge, no conclusive reports of 
carrion-feeding by Barred Owls (Strix varia) have 
been reported. Forbush (1925: 206) reported 
tangentially in a single sentence that Barred Owls 
eat carrion, but provided no details or supporting 
documentation. We document the first conclusive 
evidence of carrion-feeding by Barred Owls using 
passive-infrared sensor (PIR) camera traps. 
OBSERVATIONS 
On 23 September 2010. a PIR camera trap 
(Cuddeback Capture, white-flash; Non-Typical 
Inc.. Green Bay, WI. USA) (128.6 nr cone of 
detection: delay time between photographs set at 
30 sec) involved in a vertebrate inventory project 
was deployed on a parcel of county-owned 
property (Alamance County Recreation and Parks 
Department, Alamance County. North Carolina, 
USA). The main use of the property was outdoor 
recreation (primarily hiking), and had been 
exposed to either no, or limited, disturbance for 
several decades. Dominant habitat on-site was 
primarily upland mixed deciduous hardwood 
forest with sporadic isolated stands of various 
species of pine (Pinus spp.). The camera trap was 
mounted —5 m from a public utility transmission 
line right-of-way that bisected the property. The 
camera was affixed at a height of 25 cm to the 
trunk of a deciduous hardwood tree along a game 
trail perpendicular to the right-of-way. No attempt 
was made to lure wildlife to the camera with 
animal carcasses, and no pictures of avifauna were 
obtained prior to 13 October 2010. Barred Owls 
had been heard on-site by JMK in April 2010. but 
had not been observed. 
On 13 October 2010 at -1630 hrs eastern 
standard time (EST), an intact dead-on-road 
eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus curolinensis) was 
collected by DEG in Elon. North Carolina 
'Alamance County; USA). The animal was 
believed to be freshly dead at the time of 
collection, as evidenced by the lack ol rigor 
mortis. The body began to turn rigid by -40 min 
post-collection, indicating rigor mortis had begun. 
The squirrel was placed in a five-gallon bucket on 
14 October 2010 and transported to the study site 
-16 km north of where it was obtained and was 
placed in front of the camera trap. The carcass 
was secured to a stake at ground level with wire. 
No attempt to mask researcher scent was made 
when deploying the carcass. 
An adult Barred Owl of unknown sex was first 
attracted to the squirrel carcass on 19 October 
2010 at 0439 hrs and captured by the camera trap 
(Fig. 1). This was —115.5 hrs after the carcass 
was deployed and —133.5 hrs (—5.5 days) after 
the estimated time of death for the squirrel. Over 
the next 107 min (0439 to 0626 hrs), six more 
pictures of an owl were captured by the camera. 
That evening over a 143-min period (1925 to 2148 
hrs), seven more pictures of a Barred Owl were 
captured by the camera trap. The following 
evening (20 Oct 2010), a single Barred Owl was 
again photographed at 1953 hrs. Tins final attempt 
on the carcass was recorded roughly 155 hrs after 
the carcass had been deployed and —173 hrs 
(slightly over 7 days) after the estimated death of 
the squirrel. All 15 pictures showed a single 
Barred Owl of similar size, eating or attempting to 
fly off with the carcass. Only a small amount of 
the carcass was still present when the camera was 
serviced on 21 October 2010 at 1024 hrs. 
On 17 December 2010 at 0900 hrs, the rib cage 
and spine of a mostly decomposed dead-on-road 
white-tailed deer (Odocoikus virginianus) was 
collected -14 km south of the study site. This 
carcass was wired to a stake in front ol the camera 
at 0943 hrs on the same date. A Barred Owl was 
photographed visiting these remains once at 2301 
hrs on 18 December 2010. A series of three 
pictures of Barred Owls visiting the remains were 
obtained on 30 December 2010 from 2238 to 2254 
hrs. A Barred Owl also visited the carcass 37.5 hrs 
(—1.5 days) and 325 hrs (13.5 days) post¬ 
deployment. respectively. The rib cage and spine 
remained largely intact when the camera was 
removed from this location on 8 February 2011 at 
1059 hrs. 
Another attempt to lure wildlife near the 
camera with a road-killed squirrel carcass was 
made on 9 December 2010. The carcass was 
eventually removed to an unknown location by 
other scavenging wildlife, but Barred Owls were 
not attracted to the location. For comparison, we 
also deployed a variety of other scent and food 
lures near this camera, including tainted cooked 
