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Northern Saw-wet Owl at Radium Hot Springs
By Larry Halverson
Most species of owls are secretive and nocturnal, making population monitoring difficult.
But fortunately owls are very vocal. So this time of year volunteer owl surveyors from across Canada are heading out at night listening for owl calls and documenting their numbers. A Nocturnal Owl survey in Kootenay National Park is now in its 11th year and is one of many owl routes across British Columbia and the Yukon.
In 2011, 84 owlers stopped 1092 times in the darkness to listen for owls. They detected 184 owls which is down from the 2010 total of 248. In the southern interior of BC the Northern Saw-whet Owl is one of the most common owls heard followed by the Great Horned Owl and Barred Owl. But on March 8, this year two Boreal Owls were recorded during the owl survey in Kootenay National Park. They were heard calling around 9 p.m. along the highway just north of McLeod Meadows Campground.
For more on Nocturnal Owl Monitoring go to: https://www.bsc-eoc.org/volunteer/bcowls/
Above photo : One of the most common owls heard this time of year photo. by Larry Halverson
