The Nocturnal Owl Survey (NOS) is a long-term citizen science survey that occurs across Canada every spring. Volunteers drive a pre-determined route of 10 stops, approximately 2 km apart. At each stop, volunteers play an audio track which combines silent listening periods and owl playback, and record all the species of owls they hear and see.
Below is a quick summary of how the owl survey works. For more detailed information and before doing the survey, please download and read the Guide for Volunteers.
when do we survey?
In Newfoundland, the Nocturnal Owl Survey runs from 1 April to 15 May each year. Volunteers conduct the survey on one night within that 6 week period. We recommend doing your survey early in that period, to avoid noise from running streams, messy roads due to snowmelt, and running out of time.
Weather has a great influence on our ability to hear owls. Wind and precipitation significantly reduce calling rates and detectability, so it's important to pick a night with good weather for your survey. Ideal conditions for the owl survey are:
Temperatures above -15°C
No persistent rain or drizzle
Low winds (nothing above Beaufort Scale 3, or 20 km/h)
how long does it take?
Surveys start half an hour after sunset, and usually take about 3 hours to complete. The entire route must be surveyed on one night.
If weather conditions deteriorate during your survey, use your judgment as to whether or not the route should be completed, or run again on another evening. Light snow or drizzle starting in the middle of a survey shouldn't prevent you from completing your route, but strong winds are a much more serious problem.
What equipment is needed?
The following equipment is required to complete the survey. Much of it can be borrowed from the Birds Canada office in St. John's, so if there's something you need to borrow, contact us to request it!
Speaker
Test your speaker before doing your route: owl calls should be audible from 400m away
Make sure your speaker is charged before the survey!
Audio file player
Most people use their phones; an MP3 player would also work
Map with coordinates
Google maps are available for all routes but offline maps should be downloaded before departing, as cell service may not be available for the entire route
Contact us if you would like to borrow a GPS. We can pre-load the GPS with the coordinates of your route's stops
Permit(s)
A NL Wildlife Division permit is required to conduct this survey. Make sure you print this permit off and bring it with you
A small subset of routes require driving on the T'Railway. If this is necessary for your route, print the Government of NL Temporary Vehicle Permit and bring it with you
Data sheets
For detailed instructions on how to fill in the datasheet, please read the Volunteer Guidelines
If you are submitting your data for entry by Birds Canada staff, please ensure that sheets are legible and clear, and submitted no later than 15 June
Optional: audio recorder
Volunteers may wish to use a recorder if they are completing the survey for the first time or just learning to recognize owl calls and would like to review their stops after the survey is completed. In particular, on routes where many Boreal Owls have been detected, we would ask volunteers to use an audio recorder to confirm their report of this rare species. Audio recording equipment can be borrowed from the Birds Canada NL Office