One
of the highlights of my recent visit to Vancouver for the International
Ornithological Congress and the COSEWIC (Committee On the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) Bird Specialist Subcommittee meeting
was seeing 10 Barn Owls. My international friends may be surprised by this
because Barn Owls are common globally, and American Barn Owls are also common
on this continent. Most of Canada, however, is beyond the range of the species.
The only two areas where Barn Owls occur regularly in Canada are in southern
Ontario (the eastern population is almost extirpated and listed as Endangered
in Canada) and southwest British Columbia (listed as Threatened in Canada). This magnificent Barn Owl (three photos below) on a day roost (presumably
a female based on colouration and the size and extent of spotting), glowing red
in the smoky air wafting over the city from northern forest fires, left a
lasting impression on the whole committee. Note how powerful the talons of
these owls, so useful is dispatching large rodents, are:
(American) Barn Owl (Tyto alba pratincola OR
Tyto furcata pratincola), British Columbia, Canada, © Christian Artuso.
