An Encounter with Owls

BY ALEXANDER SMITH EIS NATURALIST

As the last bus of schoolchildren departed from Wildwood for the day and the sun dipped beneath the treeline, I decided to take a final stroll down to the lake to decompress. Spring had arrived, painting the forest with vibrant hues and filling the air with the lively chatter of birds and the soothing croaks of tree frogs. Yet, as I ventured down the familiar path, the usual symphony of springtime suddenly fell silent. I paused, my ears pricked, trying to discern the cause of the unusual stillness. And then, as I turned the corner, bathed in the soft glow of the early evening sun, I saw it — one of our resident barred owls perched majestically on a branch. Owls, whether flying solo or in a group known as a parliament, embody mystical elegance in the forest. Amidst the bustling daytime forest chatter, you can often fi nd our Wildwood owls preening their feathers or dozing in and out of sleep. But as dusk draws in, the seemingly unperturbed lump of feathers transforms into something much more cunning and lethal. Owls’ silent flight, thanks to soft, perforated feathers and specialized wing structure, makes them incredibly stealthy hunters. Their large forward-facing eyes are perfectly adapted for low-light hunting and tracking down prey. Once that prey is caught, their talons — which in some species can exert up to 500 pounds per square inch — secure their catch, solidifying them as rulers of the woodland realm.

Vancouver Island is home to seven species of owl, two of which you may be lucky enough to see at home. In this instance, the barred owl is a relative newcomer to the Island and arrived from the eastern provinces during the 1960s. Identifiable by its striking barred pattern on its plumage and a deep hooting call, barred owls are fast becoming the most numerous and successful owls on the Island. Unlike native owls, one of the main reasons for their rapid expansion is their ability to survive in urban environments and areas of fragmented forest such as parks. The other reason is the barred owl’s voracious appetite, which they will happily satiate with an amazing range of prey including birds, frogs, cray fish, small rodents and bats.

The owl you may be lucky enough to see at Wildwood is the great horned owl (Bubo virginianus). With a wingspan up to five feet, great horned owls are far larger than their barred counterparts and considerably more aggressive. Native to Vancouver Island, great horns are crepuscular, meaning they prefer to hunt during dawn and dusk. Much like most owls, they prey on a variety of different woodland mammals and birds and have been known to take down ospreys, falcons and even other owls.

Practices such as ecoforestry allow the continued existence of ecological niches in which owl species on Vancouver Island need to survive. The maintenance and protection of snags, or standing dead trees, are crucial for owl habitat, providing food opportunities as well as vital roosting and nesting sites in an ever-shrinking world.