Boreal Owl - Sierra Club BC
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Boreal Owl

CAN BE FOUND IN:

Boreal Owl

Aegolius funereus 

Appearance

These owls are small (20 to 30 centimetres long), and have a white face and a dark, spotted outline. They have yellow eyes and bill and sharp black claws. 

Range & Habitat

They live mostly in northern forests around the world. In North America they are found as far south as New Mexico. They live in many different types of forests but prefer old-growth forests, where they have access to trees with nesting cavities. 

Reciprocal relationships

Boreal owls are gifted with incredible hearing. The position of their ears allows them to locate their prey. They perch on low branches, listen, and swoop down to catch prey. They mainly eat small rodents (especially voles) but will also hunt for small birds, squirrels, frogs and beetles. Boreal owls use their gifts to maintain balance in ecosystems.  

Boreal owls rely on large old-growth forests for nesting. They are cavity nesters, making their home in a natural cavity or an old woodpecker hole. The female sits on the three to eight eggs while the male brings food. The young leave the nest after about a month and are looked after by the parents for four to six weeks. Without the cavities of large, old-growth trees these owls populations will continue to decline.  

status

COSEWIC: Not at Risk 
CDC: Yellow 

more information

If you belong to a First Nation with a story or piece of information not represented here and you would like to share more about this species, please email us at education@sierraclub.bc.ca.  

Photo credit

Canva

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