The Rocky Mountain Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes macroura), once common in the Blue Mountains ecoregion of northeastern Oregon, was considered rare in eastern Oregon by the 1930s and thought to be extirpated by the 1960s, when putatively new Red Fox populations began to appear. Although the new foxes were long presumed to be nonnative (originating from fur-farms or deliberate release), they were often phenotypically similar to native Red Foxes, suggesting the alternative possibility that they arose from range expansions, either by small numbers of remnant native foxes at higher elevations or by Rocky Mountain Red Foxes to the east. In this study, we used mitochondrial DNA to investigate the origins of extant Red Fox populations in northeastern Oregon. Our findings show that both native and nonnative sources contributed to the Red Fox populations currently occupying this region. In particular, Red Foxes in montane habitats of their former range in northeastern Oregon reflect predominantly native ancestry, whereas those in more lowland habitats outside the boundaries of their former range represent a mix of native and nonnative ancestry. Recognizing the existence of foxes with native ancestry in northeastern Oregon may shape management decisions regarding this species, especially in respect to control versus conservation.

We characterized the seasonal composition and quality of migrant and non-migrant Pronghorn (Antilocapra Americana) diets in Yellowstone National Park during 2006–2007. During winter (January–April), when migrants and non-migrants occupied the same winter range, the overall percent relative density for each forage class in Pronghorn diets (n = 51 composite fecal samples) was 67 6% (standard error) shrubs, 17 3% forbs, 13 3% grasses, and 3 1% other. However, spring and summer diets differed for migrants and non-migrants. Diets of migrants (n = 34) to higher-elevation ranges with higher precipitation and forage quality during May–August were dominated by 68 2% forbs, whereas summer diets of non-migrants (n = 21) remaining on the winter range were co-dominated by 48 2% forbs and 42 1% shrubs. Diet quality for migrant Pronghorn, as indexed by fecal nitrogen and DAPA, was also generally higher than for non-migrants during a period when the demands of late gestation and lactation were high. These results suggest that improved perinatal condition among fawns born to migrant females in Yellowstone National Park may be driven by higher-quality forage conditions in migrant areas, bolstering conclusions from previous studies that migration represents an adaptive strategy in this population given current conditions in the Park.

Many coastal dune ecosystems have been degraded by non-native dune vegetation, but these systems might still provide valuable habitat for some taxa, including amphibians. Because restoration of degraded dune systems is occurring and likely to continue, we examined the occurrence of amphibians in drainages associated with a coastal dune ecosystem degraded by invasive plants (European Beachgrass, Ammophila arenaria, and Iceplant, Carpobrotus edulis). We found that occupancy of 3 amphibian species (California Red-legged Frog, Rana draytonii; Sierran Treefrog, Hyliola sierra; and Rough-skinned Newt, Taricha granulosa) among 21 coastal-dune drainages was high, with most coastal-dune drainages occupied by all 3 species. Furthermore, reproduction of Sierran Treefrogs and California Red-legged Frogs was estimated to occur in approximately ½ and ⅓ of the drainages, respectively. The probability of occurrence of Rough-skinned Newts and pre-metamorphic life stages of both anurans decreased during the study, perhaps because of ongoing drought in California or precipitation-induced changes in phenology during the final year of the study. Maintaining structural cover and moist features during dune restoration will likely benefit native amphibian populations inhabiting coastal-dune ecosystems.

Since the 1970s, California Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis occidentalis [CSO]) have been documented on private forest lands currently owned by Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) in the Sierra Nevada of California. In 2012, SPI began an occupancy study on a portion of the CSO population known to occur on or near its managed forests in 5 watershed study areas averaging 110 km² each. These watersheds occur from the southern end of the Cascade Range to just north of Yosemite National Park. We concluded that 57 historical CSO sites existed in these areas at the beginning of the study. During 2012 through 2016, the survey effort increased the total number of known CSO sites in the study areas to 65. During the same period, the yearly occupancy of the CSO sites within the study areas ranged from 70 to 86%, with 98% of the sites occupied during at least 1 y. Crude densities during the study period were calculated to be 0.117 CSO-occupied sites km⁻². Compared to other studies in the Sierra Nevada, the CSO populations on our 5-yr study areas showed relatively high occupancy rates and a wide range of crude densities.

In 1994, Steve Gniadek (SJG) located a Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) nest in Glacier National Park (GNP), Montana. This was the 1st nest found in Montana and the northwestern United States. Prior to this discovery, only 3 states in the contiguous United States (Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin) had breeding records for this species. Historical evidence suggests that Northern Hawk Owls previously bred in Montana. A photo taken in 1990 of a misidentified fledgling in GNP is the 1st verified breeding record. Subsequent breeding has been documented in the vicinity of the 1994 nest, and elsewhere in Montana and the northwestern US. The 1994 nest cavity was 13.7 m high in a 42-cm diameter-at-breast-height (DBH) dead Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides), in an area that burned at moderate to high intensity in 1988. At least 7 nestlings fledged. Based on pellet analysis, the adults ate predominantly voles (Cricetidae, 96.3%), and they were observed to pluck and cache their prey.

Very little is known about the range and ecology of the Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) in Alaska and how the species continues to persist in a region where temperatures fall below their predicted threshold for winter survival. Establishing a baseline of current distribution is critical to monitoring potential population shifts. We hypothesized that persistence of the Little Brown Bat in interior and northern Alaska is dependent on the ability of bats to gain sufficient mass over a short summer with limited darkness, and on the availability of human structures for roosting in areas where temperatures are likely too low for roosting in natural structures. To describe the roosting ecology of bats in interior and northern Alaska, we combined traditional ecological knowledge, outreach through citizen science, and sampling using roost studies and telemetry. Activity outside of the roost was positively related to length of time between sunset and sunrise. Fat gained through summer in interior Alaska constituted 21% of body mass in fall prior to dispersal. Radio-tracked bats migrated short distances (<100 km) to areas where human structures were the most likely hibernacula. We conclude that Little Brown Bats use human structures to offset the constraints of cold temperatures and short foraging seasons in interior Alaska.

We report here the 1st evidence of the Brazilian Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) in Canada. Historic distribution records of this species in the Pacific Northwest region of North America include southern Oregon and southern Idaho, but not British Columbia. During 2014–2016 we conducted bat acoustic surveys in Canada on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, sampling 1342 detector-nights. We recorded multiple bat-call sequences during 2016 showing pulse and sequence attributes consistent with those of the Brazilian Free-tailed Bat, and we recorded 2 such call sequences in 2015. Calls were detected from May until September, suggesting summer residency by adults, rather than stray post-natal dispersals from the south. The Brazilian Free-tailed Bat is a fast long-distance flyer, and acoustic surveys outside of its historic range may benefit from surveillance for this species.

The Harbor Porpoise normally occurs in groups of 2 to 5 individuals. We report a sighting of 74 Harbor Porpoises near the entrance to Vancouver Harbor, Canada. When corrected for detection underestimate, this group was possibly as numerous as 1894 individuals, which we call a super pod