Species distributions are an essential feature for a successful species conservation management. Data of presence/absence are quite simple to obtain and they are easily part of most inventory schemes, such as Bird Atlases and survey plots. After +100 years of bird banding, the current flurry of geotagging should improve knowledge on distributions. It should specifically be an easy feature for large species. The Great Grey Owl (Great Gray Owl in North America, Strix nebulosa) is one of those species; it is c. 65cm tall and has a wingspan of 1,2m, occurring in the Old World and the New World from temperate to arctic regions. However, the actual distribution is poorly known and described, even major authorities differ, as discussed here. Rather than an icon of the wild, this species seems to be more of a road- and urban species, as shown with machine learning predictions when modeling best-available data in Alaska (Andrews 2019). Using Great Grey Owls, the presented problems centered around expert-drawn distribution maps are commonly found elsewhere too, while ML and Open Access dat provide progress and new insights crucially needed.
References (in order of relevance for this podcast)
Andrews P. (2019). First Machine Learning-Based Model Predictions Of Great Gray Owl (Strix Nebulosa) Distribution In Alaska: A Primer For Supporting
Conservation Governance. Unpublished M.Sc. University of Alaska Fairbanks.
WIKIPEDIA (2022) Great Grey Owl. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_grey_owl
BirdLife International (Data Zone) (2023). Great Grey Owl. http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/great-grey-owl-strix-nebulosa
IUCN RedList (2022) Great Grey Owl. https://www.iucnredlist.org/search/map?query=Great%20Grey%20Owl&searchType=species
eBIRD (2022) Great Gray Owl. https://ebird.org/species/grgowl/US-WA-063
Sibley, D. (2000). The North American Bird Guide. Pica.
König, C., & Weick, F. (2008). Owls of the world. A&C Black.
Audubon Guide to North American Birds (2022) https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/great-gray-owl
NATURESERVE (2022) Great Gray Owl. https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100756/Strix_nebulosa