Project Provides Nesting Habitat for a Species in Decline

This coming spring many of us who hike the Avalonia preserves from Bozrah, to Griswold, south to the coast and in between will be keeping our eyes peeled for evidence of the Eastern screech-owl (Megascops asio), a small cavity nesting raptor about the size of a robin.

While not considered to be of urgent conservation concern globally, their numbers have been in decline.  According to the annual North American Breeding Bird Survey they have “decreased annually by close to 1% for a cumulative decline of about 37% between 1966 and 2019.” While it is difficult to point to one overriding factor, most ornithologists suggest that a combination of habitat loss, predation, vehicle collisions, and pesticides may be to blame.

The efforts of Norwich native Katelyn Jakubowski, however, have us hopeful that we may play some small role in this species’ recovery. As part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Katelyn coordinated and implemented an Eastern Screech-owl nesting box initiative. This involved engaging the larger community in nesting box construction and the Avalonia community in site selection and installation on preserves.

Over the course of the last two months, between the efforts of Katelyn, Avalonia staff, and volunteers, the sixteen newly constructed screech owl boxes have been installed across thirteen preserves ranging from Glemboski-Ous to the north to Moore Woodlands in the south.

Funded in part by a grant from the Connecticut Ornithological Society, this project has generated much interest and has served as an effective platform for learning more about this pint-sized owl.