Barn Owls select uncultivated habitats for hunting in a winegrape growing region of California

Large-scale conversion of uncultivated land to agriculture threatens wildlife and can diminish ecosystem services provided by nature. Understanding how wildlife provision ecosystem services may incentivize wildlife conservation in agricultural landscapes. Attracting Barn Owls (Tyto furcata) to nest on farms for pest management has been implemented worldwide, but has not been evaluated in vineyard agroecosystems. Napa Valley, California is a renowned winegrape growing region, and viticulturists encourage Barn Owl occupancy to help minimize damage from Botta’s pocket gophers (Thomomys bottae) and voles (Microtus spp.). This study modeled the use of habitats in space and time by hunting Barn Owls, providing information about their potential to provide the critical ecosystem service of pest consumption. We used global positioning system tags to track hunting owls, and used a resource selection function to compare used and available habitats.  We constructed intensity
of use and home range-...