Understanding the effects of environmental conditions on the responses of birds to broadcast calls is important for planning call-response surveys to maximize the probability of detection. I looked for effects of environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and light level) on response rates of barred owls (Strix varia) and great horned owls (Bubo virginianus). Calls were broadcast on 23 nights under varying environmental conditions from 10 different sites. Significant correlations were found between barred owl response rates and light intensity, and between great horned owl response rates and barometric pressure.
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