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Post by Ben on May 29, 2019 19:23:42 GMT -8
Anyone know what this might be? (I know the audio is terrible) Joel's post (http://bcbirding.proboards.com/thread/11759/face-lake-thompson-region-24) has got me thinking it might be a Boreal Owl? Location: near Bridge Lake in the Caribou. Audio can be found on the checklist here: ebird.org/view/checklist/S56517991There were multiple birds and they seemed to be calling from coniferous trees. |
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Post by Randy on May 29, 2019 20:22:12 GMT -8
I've never heard a boreal owl before but I just listened to it and some other species and seems like a good fit for boreal owl!
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Post by paulos on May 30, 2019 10:45:00 GMT -8
Hey Jon,
There is a high possibility this is a Wilson's Snipe. The song seems to rise from the beginning then trail off. They can make very brief "songs" like this when winnowing, and I have been confused into thinking one was a Boreal Owl. In emails with an ebird reviewer over what I heard it became clear that mine was a Snipe winnowing. Even in wooded areas in the interior Snipes can be ubiquitous. I recently spent some time owling in the same interlakes area of the Cariboo, and heard many Snipes (and also plenty of Saw-Whet Owls).
Apparently a Boreal Owl's song tends to be 2 seconds long, rising a bit at the beginning, mostly monotonous but, when heard up close, have a subtle final trailing off (the last note or so). This song ends more dramatically with a longer descent in tone, doesn't begin right, and is not as long as would be usual for a Boreal. Wilson's snipe winnowing is highly variable, and a distant snipe can sound a lot like a Boreal Owl (apparently Snipes will even respond to Boreal Owl song playback). If this was calling from a stationary place nearby, or was visible, I would consider the possibility of a Boreal, but this sounds like a Snipe to me.
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Post by Randy on May 30, 2019 11:54:11 GMT -8
Hey Jon, There is a high possibility this is a Wilson's Snipe. The song seems to rise from the beginning then trail off. They can make very brief "songs" like this when winnowing, and I have been confused into thinking one was a Boreal Owl. In emails with an ebird reviewer over what I heard it became clear that mine was a Snipe winnowing. Even in wooded areas in the interior Snipes can be ubiquitous. I recently spent some time owling in the same interlakes area of the Cariboo, and heard many Snipes (and also plenty of Saw-Whet Owls). Apparently a Boreal Owl's song tends to be 2 seconds long, mostly monotonous but, when heard up close, have a subtle final trailing off (the last note or so). This song ends more dramatically with a longer descent in tone, doesn't begin right, and is not as long as would be usual for a Boreal. Wilson's snipe winnowing is highly variable, and a distant snipe can sound a lot like a Boreal Owl (apparently Snipes will even respond to Boreal Owl song playback). If this was calling from a stationary place nearby, or was visible, I would consider the possibility of a Boreal, but this sounds like a Snipe to me. Great suggestion Paul and now that that is on my mind thanks to you, I completely agree with a snipe winnowing! |
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Post by Ben on May 30, 2019 20:14:46 GMT -8
I'm not convinced. I thought at the time that the sound was stationary from a nearby pine tree. But who knows, I could for sure be wrong. In my books I think I'll put it down as bird sp.  |
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Post by Chris on May 30, 2019 20:26:21 GMT -8
I hear quite a lot of winnowing Snipe in the Peace region and I am fairly certain it is not a snipe.
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Post by Ben on May 30, 2019 20:43:38 GMT -8
I've added another (worse) audio recording.
The regional reviewer suggested Western Screech-Owl, but wasn't sure either.
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Post by Randy on May 30, 2019 21:00:28 GMT -8
Great discussion. Screech owl occurred to me too but doesn't sound quite right.
I would suggest two other sites to get opinions from:
1. Xenocanto
2. What's This Bird Facebook group
Please let us know what others think!
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Post by Ben on May 31, 2019 12:19:50 GMT -8
Great discussion. Screech owl occurred to me too but doesn't sound quite right. I would suggest two other sites to get opinions from: 1. Xenocanto 2. What's This Bird Facebook group Please let us know what others think! Thanks for the suggestion Randy... I don't know how much hope there is for such a bad recording but I guess it's worth a shot  Someone on Xeno-canto initially said Snipe, then changed his mind to Boreal. You can view the discussion here: www.xeno-canto.org/forum/topic/28392 |
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Post by paulos on May 31, 2019 14:57:45 GMT -8
I find these owl audio ID challenges very interesting.
Jon, could you say more about the habitat? On xeno canto you mention aspen and pine trees. Interior Douglas Fir and spruce tend to be pretty dominant around there (though there is some limited lodgepole pine around). From what I understand the spruce-aspen and spruce-cottonwood habitats at higher elevations are preferred for breeding Boreal Owls. From your ebird list it looks like you were around 1100 metres... not as high as they would be in the south of the province, but maybe that is normal there. There are very few Boreal Owl records from the Southeast Cariboo (mostly from a single place), but it's a huge area that is not well-birded, so who knows? I've thought some of the higher areas near Lac La Roche or Windy Mountain could be good places to look/listen for Boreal Owls near there.
Listening to the files again, I would say the second song seems to be a better fit for a snipe because of the emphatic last note... a quality I was told by an ebird reviewer that does not match a Boreal when heard from close range. Revisiting the first recording... I could see it in the realm of possibilities of both. I have heard very similar short Boreal-type songs like this (near Horse Lake and Deka Lake, not far away from Bridge lake), but as I kept listening I eventually heard the longer Snipe winnowing. They can sound uncannily like a Boreal owl.
More broadly speaking, I find that one of the challenges of owling is that several things can make similar sounds. I recently heard what could have been a short song of a saw-whet owl... or it could have been an echo of the beep from someone backing up a truck. I've also heard mysterious yips at night that could be a Short-eared or even Long-eared owl or just a coyote.
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Post by Ben on May 31, 2019 17:02:13 GMT -8
So, I'm not really a good tree identifier. It was definitely Aspen (with the white bark, and usually rotting near the base. Apparently the place was predominantly coniferous, but then after some logging the Aspens took over. Eventually the coniferous trees will be predominant again they say) but I don't know about the Pine. I was camping at that place, and the people there referred to the coniferous trees as Pine. The wood also apparently "doesn't spark" when burnt, but I thought it sparked a good bit . I also don't have any pictures other than of a Canada Jay sitting in a bush (with no coniferous tree in sight). Maybe the fact that there were Pine ( ) Siskin, White-winged Crossbill, and Mountain Chickadee helps with habitat? Or nearby you can view via Google some of the nearby trees (https://www.google.com/maps/@51.4921192,-120.6618472,3a,75y,108.81h,97.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sB9aeax8Y4egsslpRFo2F7g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656) I would assume the trees there are the same. At the time when I heard the call, I was trying to match it to something on Merlin, but I didn't listen to the Boreal Owl call (only song) at the time, and I didn't even think of snipe, and everything else I looked up wasn't even close. If I go there again ever, I'll be sure to get a better recording/report |
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