Article Reprinted from SALIDmag by Camellia Paul: A Tale of Two Owls: Ulūka and Ulama
The magnificent raptor sat motionless upon a weathered branch, its ear tufts sticking up like horns. Dark heart-shaped streaks ran down its pale breast, while the barred wings merged seamlessly with the bark behind it. It seemed less like a bird than a fantastic beast of the forest itself, one that had briefly chosen to appear before me. Unlike Barnie’s luminous face which invited affinity, the formidable appearance of the Forest Eagle-Owl resisted familiarity. There was some
Saving 7 Northern Saw-whet Owl Chicks Orphans from a Cut Down Snag
One tree, so many lives. In 48 hours the Owl Research Institute, in coordination with Wild Skies Raptor Center, was able to place all 7 owlets in foster nests. A remarkable effort was made by all and gave the owlets a real second chance.
Potty Owl: The Great Horned Owl That Nested in a Flower Pot
A female Great Horned Owl made one of the strangest nesting choices the ORI has ever documented, a plastic flower pot beside the front door of a MT home.
Saving Snags for Owls: Nesting Habitat Preference Research
The importance of snags for many owl species and over 85 other species of birds. Not all snags are created equal, and that is why the ORI's research is critical to understand what types of trees to leave behind for which species.
New Burrowing Owl Cam with Partners Explore.org and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR)
The ORI, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), and explore.org recently installed a livestreaming camera at the former Umatilla Army Depot to watch burrowing owls that nest there. This was highlighted on NBC News in Oregon, watch news clip here.
Short-eared Owl Winter Surveys Wrap-Up, Thank You Volunteers!
The ORI, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), and explore.org recently installed a livestreaming camera at the former Umatilla Army Depot to watch burrowing owls that nest there. This was highlighted on NBC News in Oregon, watch news clip here.
ORI PUBLISHES PAPER - A Historical Review of Our Knowledge of Brown Lemming Population Cycles at Barrow, Alaska: Cycles No More or Never Before
Lemming and vole populations rise and fall in periodic but unpredictable fluctuations that have been observed for centuries. Although modern research has documented patterns every 4–6 years, no single factor, ie. food, predators, disease, or social stress, fully explains these outbreaks. Instead, multiple forces interact to produce population changes that resemble cycles but are better understood as recurring fluctuations rather than true, predictable cycles.
Restoring Burrowing Owls at Weapons Depo Conservation and Collaboration
Today, the project serves a multitude of purposes: a conservation success story, an important source population for Burrowing Owls in the Pacific Northwest, training grounds for biologists around the world, a platform for community outreach and education, and a long-term collaborative research and management effort. Those involved include non-profit groups, universities, the Oregon Military Department, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation...
Northwest Woodlands Magazine Article Summer Edition
Article written about the importance of snags by the ORI and published in Northwest Woodlands magazine, a publication of the Oregon Small Woodlands, Washington Farm Forestry, Idaho Montana Forest Owners Associations
ORI's Raptor Survey Highlighted by MTPR: Montana's Public Radio, Since Then, We Have Broken Our Record of Most Raptors Counted in One Day
Montana Public Radio came out with us on the January Raptor Survey and recorded this piece that aired on MTPR on March 3rd, 2025
