Home ranges, habitat selection, and energy expenditure of Strix varia (Barred Owls): Understanding the full diel cycle matters for enhancing urban landscapes.

This article investigates the home ranges, habitat selection, and energy expenditure of Strix varia (Barred Owls) across the full diel cycle in urban landscapes, focusing on Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with validation in Clemson, South Carolina. Using GPS and accelerometer data, the study found that Barred Owls select mature forests with tall canopies and open understories, particularly in affluent neighborhoods, supporting the "luxury effect" in urban biodiversity. Nocturnal home ranges were significantly larger than diurnal ones, with preferred nocturnal habitat covering a larger area, and energy expenditure inversely related to habitat preference at night but positively related during the day. The findings emphasize the importance of considering both diurnal and nocturnal habitat needs for urban wildlife conservation and highlight socioeconomic disparities in green space distribution relevant to urban planning and biodiversity management.