Factors Associated with Flammulated Owl and Northern Saw-Whet Owl Occupancy in Southern Idaho

<p> Spatially explicit models depicting species occupancy offer a useful conservation tool for land managers. Using occurrence data collected in 2009 and 2010 from the Boise National Forest, Idaho, we developed distribution models for Flammulated Owls ( <em> Psiloscops flammeolus </em> ) and Northern Saw-whet Owls ( <em> Aegolius acadicus </em> ) to explore associations between habitat factors and owl occupancy. We then spatially applied these models in a Geographic Information System. We considered land cover and topographic variables at three spatial scales: 0.4-km, 1-km, or 3-km-radius plots centered on point-count locations ( <em> n </em> &hairsp;=&hairsp; 150) with resolution of land covers at 30 m. Flammulated Owls occupied 27 (18%) point-count locations and occurred in areas with a higher proportion of Douglas-fir ( <em> Pseudotsuga menziesii </em> ) at the 0.4-km scale, less diverse land cover composition at the 1-km scale, and in south-facing aspects at the 3-km scale. Northern Saw-whet Owls occupied 45 (30%) point-count locations and were associated with relatively flat terrain at the 0.4-km scale that had larger proportions of non-forest land cover. At the 1-km and 3-km scales, Northern Saw-whet Owls occurred in areas with south-facing aspects having a higher proportion of ponderosa pine ( <em> Pinus ponderosa </em> ), respectively. Biologists and land managers interested in the conservation of Flammulated Owls and Northern Saw-whet Owls can use our approach to delineate habitats important for these owls or to help identify locations suitable for restoration.</p>