Blakiston’s Fish-owl Conservation

Blakiston's fish-owl (Ketupa blakistoni) is a charismatic, endangered owl associated with old-growth riparian forests in northeast Asia. Approximately 1,000 pairs of these massive birds are thought to persist in the wild, with very few represented in zoos. Little is known about the Blakiston’s fish-owl in mainland Russia due to the elusive nature of the species and difficulties associated with collecting data in this remote region.

The primary purpose of this study is to develop a Blakiston’s fish-owl conservation plan for Primorye, Russia. Specifically, this will be accomplished by meeting three primary objectives: (1) develop an understanding of Blakiston’s fish-owl resource selection, (2) map Primorye to indicate areas of high Blakiston’s fish-owl probability-of-use, and (3) develop conservation recommendations for Blakiston’s fish-owls.

To meet this goal, owls are being tagged with VHF and GPS transmitters to monitor their movements and habitat use. Once data collection is complete, a probability-of-use map will be constructed. The map will allow researchers to identify potential Blakiston's fish-owl ‘hot spots’ in Primorye and will help guide selection of high priority conservation areas. The maps will also be used to develop recommendations for management and use of old-growth river valleys where logging is destroying natural habitats.