With the increase in the number of fast-moving vehicles and the simultaneous development of road building technology, roadside bird mortality has become an increasingly important environmental issue that has the potential to do serious damage to already vulnerable bird populations. This project was therefore initiated after an alarming number of owls were found dead along the N17 and R550 roads in the rural areas between Springs and Devon in the East Rand highveld of Gauteng Province. Five hundred and fifty four owls of four species, namely Marsh Owls, the Red Data listed Grass Owl, Barn Owl and the Spotted Eagle Owl were collected on the stretches of the R550 and N17 during the period between October 2001 and September 2003. They accounted for 53.6%, 27.4%, 17.5% and 1.3% of the mortalities respectively. Unidentified species of owls accounted for the remaining 0.2%. It was found that the monthly mortality rates of the birds varied throughout the year, with the greatest losses being suffered during July, as opposed to relatively lower mortalities occurring during the warmer months. All carcasses were collected, their GPS locations plotted on a map, and ‘hotspot areas’ identified as places of highest incidences of mortalities of the owls. Vehicle-induced mortalities are then discussed in relation to these hotspots, in terms of vegetation and habitat descriptions, daily vehicle counts along the route, as well as fixtures found along the route. It was found that traffic density was indirectly proportional to owl mortalities, with higher traffic speeds definitely having an increasingly detrimental effect on the owl mortalities. Weather conditions also play a role in mortality counts, with the mortalities being significantly negatively correlated to rainfall. Moon phases were also related to the times of highest mortalities, however, this factor did not play a significant role in influencing road mortalities. Another factor that was studied was the influence of differing tarmac road surface temperatures as opposed to gravel road verge surface temperatures, and how these temperatures differed from the ambient temperature. It was found that there was not a big enough difference in the temperatures that would warrant (the previously thought notion) that the owls were attracted to the roads at night to gain heat. Gravel roads had very low incidences of owl mortalities with the highest mortalities recorded along tarmac roads that are bordered by open grasslands or cattle grazing paddocks. It was shown that tarmac roads, bordered by croplands, had a lesser effect on the owl mortalities. Another factor influencing the road mortalities of the owls is grain that is spilled on the road during transport. This initially seemed to be the major factor in attracting granivorous rodents to the roads, and in turn, attracting the owls to prey on them. Rodents identified from recovered pellets and the stomach contents of dead owls confirmed the fact that the majority of rodent prey items were indeed granivorous species, namely Mastomys natalensis and Rhabdomys pumilio. This is in disagreement with previous studies that indicated that a large proportion of the prey species of the Grass Owl was Otomys irroratus, a grass-eating species, even though a rodent trapping study to determine prey abundance within the area indicated a healthy population of O. irroratus. Further studies into prey items of the owls that were dissected indicated that the majority of the prey items recovered were not caught directly on the road as it was already partially digested, suggesting that the prey was caught prior to the owl being killed. From the pellet analyses, other prey items were also found to form part of the owls’ diets. It was found that insects formed largely the diet of the Marsh Owl during the spring, summer and autumn months, with them resorting to smaller rodents during the winter months. Spotted Eagle Owls also preyed almost exclusively on insects. Grass Owls, on the other hand, preyed on small mammals exclusively, with the very rare exception of some insects also being taken. Of all of the dead owls recovered on the roads, post mortems were carried out on only 78 of the carcasses. All of the dead owls examined were in good health prior to death. Various morphometrics of the examined owls were noted. Comparisons of body mass showed that females were larger than males for most species. This was also found for most other measurements as well. It was also found that, according to body mass comparisons, Barn Owls and Marsh Owls were significantly similar. Conducting ANOVA analysis on other morphometrics to determine gender differences, it was found that Grass Owl males were significantly different to females in terms of body mass and length. Marsh Owl males were significantly different to females in terms of body mass and tail length; with Barn Owl males being significantly different in terms of tarsus length to females. Except for Spotted Eagle Owl tarsus lengths all other measurements were in favour of females being significantly larger. These findings were also confirmed when applying the Dimorphism Index to all morphometrics measurements, especially body mass. The degree of parasite infestation was also studied during post mortem examinations. Very few cestodes and nematodes were found, with too few to have an effect on the overall health of the birds prior to death. The vegetation type was studied at transects that coincided with hotspot and non-hotspot sites. Using the PRIMER statistical software package, hotspot sites were found to have highest plant cover and diversity, whereas nonhotspot sites showed lowest plant cover and diversity, generally dominated by Hyparrhenia hirta. During these studies, the degree of available nesting habitat was determined and nesting sites were identified, using the ropedragging technique to flush out roosting and nesting owls that would otherwise have been impossible to find in the thick cover. It was found that Grass Owls preferred a habitat rich in thick grass cover that was relatively high (0.75 m–1 m). It was found that the grass species preferred by these owls were Eragrostis curvula, Paspalum sp., Setaria sp., Sporobolis sp., with few other small herbaceous plants. Marsh Owls, on the other hand, seemed not to be too partial regarding roosting and nesting sites, with them roosting and breeding in more mixed vegetation grasslands that had sparser cover, not reaching the height of the grass cover typical of the habitat preferred by the Grass Owls. Opposed to this were the non-hotspot vegetation sites. These sites were found to have vegetation cover unsuited to both the Marsh and Grass owls, with mixed H. hirta grassland not forming the dense cover, or the height, needed by those two species of owls. Foraging owls were also observed, with the vegetation type in the immediate vicinity noted. Vegetation types similar to breeding areas were noted in these foraging areas. Habitat preferences as well as breeding performance were noted for both grassland species of owls, and found to be directly related to land usage in terms of varying agricultural practices and regimes. Fallow, undisturbed lands were found to be highly productive for the owls. Lands planted with Eragrostis sp. were also found to be very productive, but only if left undisturbed for a period of time sufficient to allow the grassland owls to colonise it. Maize-planted fields were found to be utilised only as foraging fields and no breeding of owls was found to take place close to these fields. After extensive nest searching, it was found that both Marsh and Grass owls were breeding from late March to early June, with the Barn Owls breeding in October and again in March. Grass Owls occur in the study area because of the presence of a natural corridor of suitable habitat that runs parallel with the Blesbokspruit. This favourable habitat of the study area is thus conducive to high population density of grassland owls utilising these uncultivated patches of dense and tall vegetation. The high incidence of mortalities on the road in the study area is due to the concomitant high population densities. This healthy population seems to be sustaining the losses occurring on roads. Owls also seem to be gathering in larger numbers in hotspot zones because of the easy available prey, which are attracted to these high productive areas. Agricultural practices in the area lead to the spillage of grain on the road during transportation. Potential prey species foraging on the roads expose themselves to the nocturnal hunters offering an easy dinner. This process leaves these owls vulnerable to vehicle collisions. The overall population size may be larger than previously thought, not with standing the high mortalities already recorded. The small patches of viable habitat in the study area remains suitable for the breeding of the two grassland owl species allowing for such high densities to occur in the area. The Grass Owl, nonetheless, remains severely threatened as it already occurs as a high priority species for conservation concern in the Gauteng Province. This study provides the first assessment of this owl species of this scale in South Africa and this will ultimately promote the long-term survival of these owls. / Dr. V. Wepener

Thesis (MScAgric)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During Holocene times a considerable deposit of barn owl pellet material accumulated in the Hot Pot Cave at De Hoop Nature Reserve on the southern coast of the Western Cape Province, South Africa. An excavation of this accumulation has yielded information on barn owl prey species over the past some two millennia. Four distinct layers were excavated and radiocarbon-dated to AD 381, AD 615, AD 991 and AD 1417. The micromammalian cranial contents of these layers were compared to material from two pellet collections that represent modem bam owl predation at De Hoop (AD 2000). Comparisons were made from three perspectives: (1) physical size measurements of certain cranial parameters, (2) micromammal community species composition and (3) community structure indices, such as the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Simpson's diversity index and the species equitability index. By extrapolating from known ecological distribution information of the relevant prey species, these data were used to recreate the local climate at the time of the accumulation of the layers. The results were compared to other palaeoclimate models for the region as a test of validity. It was found that the lower two layers of the sequence represented mild conditions with possibly more grass than in recent times, while the upper layers represented cool weather with a possible increase in scrub. AD 381 was found to be somewhat dry and mild, AD 615 to be the wettest level and possibly milder than AD 381, AD 991 to be the coolest of all the levels and dryest of the ancient levels, AD 1417 to be somewhat cool and probably drier than AD 615, but wetter than AD 381, and AD 2000 to be the mildest and dryest of all levels, with the artificial influence of nearby agricultural activities evident. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Tydens die Holoseen tydperk het 'n relatief groot hoeveelheid nonnietjie-uil bolusmateriaal versamel in Hot Pot Grot in die De Hoop Natuurreservaat aan die Wes-Kaapse suidkus, Suid- Afrika. Opgrawings van hierdie bolusversameling het waardevolle en insiggewende inligting aandie lig gebring rakende nonnetjie-uil prooi tydens ongeveer die afgelope tweeduisend jaar. Vier defnitiewe lae is opgegrawe en deur radiodatering is die lae se datums vasgestelop 381, 615, 991 en 1417 n.e. Deur gebruik te maak van kraniale kriteria. is die mikrosoogdier inhoud van die opgrawings vergelyk met dié van twee bolusversamelings wat die huidige uilprooi (2000 n.Ci) in De Hoop verteenwoordig. Die vergelykings is op drie maniere getref: (1) fisiese grootternates van sekere kraniale parameters, (2) species-samestelling van die mikrosoogdiergemeenskap en (3) gemeenskap-struktuur indekse nl. die Shannon-Wiener diversiteitsindeks, Simpson se diversiteitsindeks en die species-gelykheid indeks. Deur ekstrapolasie vanaf bekende ekologiese verspreidingsinligting rakende die betrokke species, is hierdie data gebruik om die klimaat van daardie tydperke te herskep op 'n streeksbasis en vergelyk met ander paleoklimaat-modelle om die geldigheid daarvan te beproef. Die resultate het getoon dat die onderste (oudste) twee lae warmer toestande met moontlik meer gras verteenwoordig, terwyl die boonste twee lae koeler weer met moontlik meer bosse verteenwoordig. Daar is verder gevind dat 381 n.e. redelik droog en warm was, 615 n.e. die natste laag en moontlik warmer as 381 n.e., 991 n.e. die koudste van al die lae en droogste van die grot-lae, 1417 n.e. redelik koel en moontlik droëer as 615 n.e., maar natter as 381 n.e., en 2000 n.C. die warmste en droogste van al die lae, met kunsmatige invloed van nabygeleë landbou aktiwiteite.

Through this research, engineering students and conservation biologists constructed an off-grid video system for observing western burrowing owls in El Paso, Texas. The burrowing owl has a declining population and their range decreasing, driving scientists' interest to see inside the den for observing critical nesting behavior. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologists wanted videos from inside the dark, isolated hillside owl burrows. This research yielded a replicable multi-camera prototype, empowering others to explore applications of engineering and wildlife monitoring. The remote station used an off-the-shelf video recording system, solar panels, charge controller, and lead acid batteries. Four local K-12 science educators participated in system testing at Lake Ray Roberts State Park through the Research Experiences for Teachers (RET, NSF #1132585) program, as well as four undergraduate engineering students as senior design research.

I studied the habitat characteristics of Mexican Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis lucida), a federally threatened species, in the canyonlands region of southern Utah. Vegetative and geologic features were measured within 10m wide belt plots at each current or historic nest/roost site. Based on our findings, past research, and species life history characteristics, I constructed a species distribution model (SDM) predicting Mexican Spotted Owl distribution in Utah for the Colorado Plateau region. The SDM was generated using the following inputs as important habitat variables: elevation, aspect, surface ratio, curvature, slope, geology, and vegetation. Program R was used for model development and generation. The SDM was generated using an ensemble model approach by combining three modeling techniques: random forest, logistic regression, and maximum entropy. This study combines measured habitat characteristics, with sophisticated geographic information system (GIS) tools and SDMs to provide managers with an informative and useful toolkit for Mexican Spotted Owl conservation. Chapter 2 discusses modeling techniques and SDM development. I detail how individual models were constructed using random forest, logistic regression, and maximum entropy and how these were combined into an ensemble model. Final models indicated that several vegetative and geologic characteristics were considered important habitat characteristics for predicting Mexican Spotted Owl presence within the Colorado Plateau. The SDMs produced eight distribution maps predicting Mexican Spotted Owl presence and probability of occurrence in Utah for the Colorado Plateau region. Chapter 3 explains the use of SDMs by managers and synthesizes findings of measured habitat characteristics for southern Utah. For habitat characteristics I measured a combination of vegetative and geologic features within 10m wide belts at current and historic Mexican Spotted Owl sites. Vegetative features measured included: height and species of all trees and shrubs, position of tree or shrub within plot, presence of canopy cover, and tree diameter at breast height (DBH). Geologic features measured included: geologic formation type, wall height, structure type, number of caves, and number of solution cavities. I found that canyon width and density of vegetation > 2.5 m tall were significantly correlated with Mexican Spotted Owl presence.

In this research I investigated ecological attributes of Powerful Owls (Ninox strenua) in a continuum of habitats throughout the Yarra Valley corridor of Victoria, Australia. These habitats ranged from a highly urbanized parkland (the Yarra Valley Metropolitan Park) to a relatively undisturbed closed forest (Toolangi State Forest). Different aspects of the owls' ecology were investigated at six sites to determine whether their behaviour changed when they occupied habitats with different levels of urbanization and disturbance. The ecological attributes investigated were habitat utilization and habitat requirements (for both roosting and nesting), adult behaviour (through radio-tracking), juvenile behaviour and dispersal (through radio tracking), diet (through analysing regurgitated food pellets) and breeding success rates. A number of methods were used to capture adult Powerful Owls. These are described and their effectiveness discussed. The types of radio-transmitters and colour bands used for identification of owls are also described. The results showed that Powerful Owls are present and successfully breed in urban and suburban areas and that they can tolerate moderate levels of disturbance. However, Powerful Owls do require sites with high prey densities, roost trees and trees with suitable breeding hollows. In comparison with Powerful Owls living elsewhere in forests, the urban owls displayed higher tolerance levels to disturbance and were less selective in terms of habitat usage and diet. Home range sizes of urban Powerful Owls also appeared much smaller than those of the forest-dwelling Powerful Owls. This is probably due to the high prey densities in the urban areas. The ecology of the Powerful Owl is compared with that of two owl species from North America, the Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurind) and the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus). In particular, I compared the similarities and differences in habitat requirements and breeding successes in different habitats for the three species. Overall, it would appear that urban areas can support Powerful Owls providing some old-growth trees are maintained to provide nest hollows. Implications for the long-term management of Powerful Owls in urban areas are also discussed.

Reintroduction of captive-bred Western Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) in the Nicola Valley, British Columbia, has had limited success in increasing the local breeding population. Traditionally, yearling captive-hatched Burrowing Owls that were paired and released into artificial burrows in the field, held overnight, and provided with supplemental food throughout the breeding season (hard release) have had high post-release dispersal and mortality. In 2005 and 2006, I used an alternative soft-release technique to test for an improvement upon the hard-release technique. The soft release followed the same procedure as the traditional hard release but also included enclosures around burrow entrances to contain the owls for a 2-week period in the field prior to release. I compared immediate post-release dispersal, seasonal survival, and reproductive success for 37 hard-released and 30 soft-released pairs. I radio-tagged 39 of these released owls in order to accurately monitor their activities, regardless of whether they remained at release sites or dispersed. The soft-release technique led to 20% more owls remaining at the release sites, 14% more owls surviving the breeding season, and 20% more owl pairs fledging juveniles. In addition to investigating adult survival and reproductive success, I examined post-fledging juvenile survival, local recruitment, and habitat use, and adult prey consumption behaviour in order to assess the potential of these aspects to limit the success of the reintroduction. Survival and local recruitment rates of the juveniles of captive-bred adults released with two different techniques were similar to that of juveniles of wild adults in the same study area or in other parts of the Burrowing Owl's range. Juvenile habitat-selection analyse sidentified the importance of rangeland, and comparisons of prey consumption revealed the rapid development of foraging abilities by captive-bred Burrowing Owls. I concluded that these aspects of the owl's ecology were not negatively affected by a captive upbringing, and therefore not likely limiting the success of the reintroduction. Overall, the use of an enclosure-based soft-release technique addresses major limitations to the success of releases, and shows promise for increasing the breeding population in this region. This approach can also be applied to recovery efforts throughout the Burrowing Owls' range, and provide guidelines for other species' reintroduction programs.

Reintroduction of captive-bred Western Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) in the Nicola Valley, British Columbia, has had limited success in increasing the local breeding population. Traditionally, yearling captive-hatched Burrowing Owls that were paired and released into artificial burrows in the field, held overnight, and provided with supplemental food throughout the breeding season (hard release) have had high post-release dispersal and mortality. In 2005 and 2006, I used an alternative soft-release technique to test for an improvement upon the hard-release technique. The soft release followed the same procedure as the traditional hard release but also included enclosures around burrow entrances to contain the owls for a 2-week period in the field prior to release. I compared immediate post-release dispersal, seasonal survival, and reproductive success for 37 hard-released and 30 soft-released pairs. I radio-tagged 39 of these released owls in order to accurately monitor their activities, regardless of whether they remained at release sites or dispersed. The soft-release technique led to 20% more owls remaining at the release sites, 14% more owls surviving the breeding season, and 20% more owl pairs fledging juveniles. In addition to investigating adult survival and reproductive success, I examined post-fledging juvenile survival, local recruitment, and habitat use, and adult prey consumption behaviour in order to assess the potential of these aspects to limit the success of the reintroduction. Survival and local recruitment rates of the juveniles of captive-bred adults released with two different techniques were similar to that of juveniles of wild adults in the same study area or in other parts of the Burrowing Owl's range. Juvenile habitat-selection analyse sidentified the importance of rangeland, and comparisons of prey consumption revealed the rapid development of foraging abilities by captive-bred Burrowing Owls. I concluded that these aspects of the owl's ecology were not negatively affected by a captive upbringing, and therefore not likely limiting the success of the reintroduction. Overall, the use of an enclosure-based soft-release technique addresses major limitations to the success of releases, and shows promise for increasing the breeding population in this region. This approach can also be applied to recovery efforts throughout the Burrowing Owls' range, and provide guidelines for other species' reintroduction programs.

A heterogeneidade do habitat pode afetar diretamente ou indiretamente a disponibilidade de recursos necessários para a sobrevivência e reprodução das aves, uma vez que estas selecionam micro-habitats para forrageamento e sítios reprodutivos. As corujas são aves noturnas que desempenham um importante papel no equilíbrio do ecossistema, por evitar superpopulações de presas e eliminar indivíduos defeituosos. Essas aves são de pouquíssimo conhecimento e principalmente em relação ao uso de habitat. Entretanto, alguns trabalhos mostraram relações entre a distribuição e presença de corujas com características da estrutura da vegetação e com diferentes paisagens. Realizamos um estudo de revisão sobre o status da pesquisa cientifica em relação as corujas e podemos confirmar a carência em estudos com corujas que ocorrem no Brasil. A maior parte das pesquisas relacionadas com esse grupo de aves foram realizadas na América do Norte com apenas a citação de 4 espécies das 21 que ocorrem no Brasil. O tema seleção de habitat, genética e evolução, sistemática e técnicas foram pouquíssimos relatados nas publicações utilizadas nesta revisão. Por outro lado os nossos resultados sobre a influência de algumas variáveis da vegetação em relação à presença de corujas em diferentes fisionomias de Floresta Atlântica, mostraram a importância do uso de micro-habitats na floresta diferenciado por algumas corujas. As diferentes fisionomias da vegetação suportaram assembléias de corujas diferentes e as espécies Corujinha do mato (Ottus choliba), Murucututu da barriga amarela (Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana), Caburé miudinho (Glaucidium minutissimum) e a Coruja do mato (Ciccaba virgata) utilizaram significativamente alguns componentes da estrutura da vegetação. Os nossos resultados sugerem que diferentes fisionomias e estrutura da vegetação influenciam na ocorrência e na variação de espécies de corujas. Isso indica que a estrutura e a densidade da vegetação são importantes para a escolha de alguns tipos de micro-habitats na floresta produzidos por variações na distribuição espacial nos componentes de estrutura e densidade da vegetação. / The habitat heterogeneity can affect directly or indirect resources availability of necessary for the survival and reproduction the birds, a time that these selection micro-habitats for foraging and nest-sites. The owls are nocturnal birds that to play an important role in the balance of ecosystem, for preventing overpopulations of preys and eliminate faulty individuals. These birds were of very little knowledge and mainly in relation to the habitat use. However, some research had show to relations among the owls distributions and presence with characteristics of the structure of the vegetation and different landscape. We carry through a revision study about the status of scientific research in relations the owls and can confirm the really poor of the studies with owls that occur in Brazil. The great part of the research founded had been realized in North American with only the citation 4 species of the 21 that its occur in Brazil. The subject habitat selection, genetc and evolution, systematic and methods are very little related in publications used in this revision. However ours results on the influence among the owls presence with components of the structure of the vegetation in different Atlantic forest physiognomy, showed the importance of the use the microhabitat in the florest. The different physiognomy of the vegetation had supported assemblies of different owls composition of owls and the species Tropical screech-owl, Tawny-browed, Least pygmy-owl, Mottled owl had used significantly some components of the structure of the vegetation. Ours results suggest that different physiognomy and structure of the vegetation influence in the occurrence and variation of the composition of the owls. This indicates that the structure and the density of the vegetation are important for the choice of this habitat in the forest, so that the species can satisfy its biologic cycle and keep its populations.

A heterogeneidade do habitat pode afetar diretamente ou indiretamente a disponibilidade de recursos necessários para a sobrevivência e reprodução das aves, uma vez que estas selecionam micro-habitats para forrageamento e sítios reprodutivos. As corujas são aves noturnas que desempenham um importante papel no equilíbrio do ecossistema, por evitar superpopulações de presas e eliminar indivíduos defeituosos. Essas aves são de pouquíssimo conhecimento e principalmente em relação ao uso de habitat. Entretanto, alguns trabalhos mostraram relações entre a distribuição e presença de corujas com características da estrutura da vegetação e com diferentes paisagens. Realizamos um estudo de revisão sobre o status da pesquisa cientifica em relação as corujas e podemos confirmar a carência em estudos com corujas que ocorrem no Brasil. A maior parte das pesquisas relacionadas com esse grupo de aves foram realizadas na América do Norte com apenas a citação de 4 espécies das 21 que ocorrem no Brasil. O tema seleção de habitat, genética e evolução, sistemática e técnicas foram pouquíssimos relatados nas publicações utilizadas nesta revisão. Por outro lado os nossos resultados sobre a influência de algumas variáveis da vegetação em relação à presença de corujas em diferentes fisionomias de Floresta Atlântica, mostraram a importância do uso de micro-habitats na floresta diferenciado por algumas corujas. As diferentes fisionomias da vegetação suportaram assembléias de corujas diferentes e as espécies Corujinha do mato (Ottus choliba), Murucututu da barriga amarela (Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana), Caburé miudinho (Glaucidium minutissimum) e a Coruja do mato (Ciccaba virgata) utilizaram significativamente alguns componentes da estrutura da vegetação. Os nossos resultados sugerem que diferentes fisionomias e estrutura da vegetação influenciam na ocorrência e na variação de espécies de corujas. Isso indica que a estrutura e a densidade da vegetação são importantes para a escolha de alguns tipos de micro-habitats na floresta produzidos por variações na distribuição espacial nos componentes de estrutura e densidade da vegetação. / The habitat heterogeneity can affect directly or indirect resources availability of necessary for the survival and reproduction the birds, a time that these selection micro-habitats for foraging and nest-sites. The owls are nocturnal birds that to play an important role in the balance of ecosystem, for preventing overpopulations of preys and eliminate faulty individuals. These birds were of very little knowledge and mainly in relation to the habitat use. However, some research had show to relations among the owls distributions and presence with characteristics of the structure of the vegetation and different landscape. We carry through a revision study about the status of scientific research in relations the owls and can confirm the really poor of the studies with owls that occur in Brazil. The great part of the research founded had been realized in North American with only the citation 4 species of the 21 that its occur in Brazil. The subject habitat selection, genetc and evolution, systematic and methods are very little related in publications used in this revision. However ours results on the influence among the owls presence with components of the structure of the vegetation in different Atlantic forest physiognomy, showed the importance of the use the microhabitat in the florest. The different physiognomy of the vegetation had supported assemblies of different owls composition of owls and the species Tropical screech-owl, Tawny-browed, Least pygmy-owl, Mottled owl had used significantly some components of the structure of the vegetation. Ours results suggest that different physiognomy and structure of the vegetation influence in the occurrence and variation of the composition of the owls. This indicates that the structure and the density of the vegetation are important for the choice of this habitat in the forest, so that the species can satisfy its biologic cycle and keep its populations.

A heterogeneidade do habitat pode afetar diretamente ou indiretamente a disponibilidade de recursos necessários para a sobrevivência e reprodução das aves, uma vez que estas selecionam micro-habitats para forrageamento e sítios reprodutivos. As corujas são aves noturnas que desempenham um importante papel no equilíbrio do ecossistema, por evitar superpopulações de presas e eliminar indivíduos defeituosos. Essas aves são de pouquíssimo conhecimento e principalmente em relação ao uso de habitat. Entretanto, alguns trabalhos mostraram relações entre a distribuição e presença de corujas com características da estrutura da vegetação e com diferentes paisagens. Realizamos um estudo de revisão sobre o status da pesquisa cientifica em relação as corujas e podemos confirmar a carência em estudos com corujas que ocorrem no Brasil. A maior parte das pesquisas relacionadas com esse grupo de aves foram realizadas na América do Norte com apenas a citação de 4 espécies das 21 que ocorrem no Brasil. O tema seleção de habitat, genética e evolução, sistemática e técnicas foram pouquíssimos relatados nas publicações utilizadas nesta revisão. Por outro lado os nossos resultados sobre a influência de algumas variáveis da vegetação em relação à presença de corujas em diferentes fisionomias de Floresta Atlântica, mostraram a importância do uso de micro-habitats na floresta diferenciado por algumas corujas. As diferentes fisionomias da vegetação suportaram assembléias de corujas diferentes e as espécies Corujinha do mato (Ottus choliba), Murucututu da barriga amarela (Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana), Caburé miudinho (Glaucidium minutissimum) e a Coruja do mato (Ciccaba virgata) utilizaram significativamente alguns componentes da estrutura da vegetação. Os nossos resultados sugerem que diferentes fisionomias e estrutura da vegetação influenciam na ocorrência e na variação de espécies de corujas. Isso indica que a estrutura e a densidade da vegetação são importantes para a escolha de alguns tipos de micro-habitats na floresta produzidos por variações na distribuição espacial nos componentes de estrutura e densidade da vegetação. / The habitat heterogeneity can affect directly or indirect resources availability of necessary for the survival and reproduction the birds, a time that these selection micro-habitats for foraging and nest-sites. The owls are nocturnal birds that to play an important role in the balance of ecosystem, for preventing overpopulations of preys and eliminate faulty individuals. These birds were of very little knowledge and mainly in relation to the habitat use. However, some research had show to relations among the owls distributions and presence with characteristics of the structure of the vegetation and different landscape. We carry through a revision study about the status of scientific research in relations the owls and can confirm the really poor of the studies with owls that occur in Brazil. The great part of the research founded had been realized in North American with only the citation 4 species of the 21 that its occur in Brazil. The subject habitat selection, genetc and evolution, systematic and methods are very little related in publications used in this revision. However ours results on the influence among the owls presence with components of the structure of the vegetation in different Atlantic forest physiognomy, showed the importance of the use the microhabitat in the florest. The different physiognomy of the vegetation had supported assemblies of different owls composition of owls and the species Tropical screech-owl, Tawny-browed, Least pygmy-owl, Mottled owl had used significantly some components of the structure of the vegetation. Ours results suggest that different physiognomy and structure of the vegetation influence in the occurrence and variation of the composition of the owls. This indicates that the structure and the density of the vegetation are important for the choice of this habitat in the forest, so that the species can satisfy its biologic cycle and keep its populations.