In Canada, the Barn Owl's
breeding range is restricted to southwestern Ontario and extreme
southern British Columbia. All of the historically occupied sites in
Ontario are privately owned. The Committee on the Status of Endangered
Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has designated the species as nationally
"Vulnerable," based largely on a small but relatively
healthy population in southern British Columbia. In Ontario, however,
the species is considered "threatened" and is believed to be
very close to extirpation.
The intent of this Recovery
Plan is to provide an overview of the Barn Owl's biology (with an
emphasis on limiting factors), and from that basis develop elements of
a strategy to recover the population in Ontario, drawing heavily upon
an in-depth literature review.
The goal of the recovery plan
is to increase populations of the Barn Owl in Ontario to
self-sustaining levels, and to enhance the populations of other
grasslands-dependent birds. Through a cooperative effort of community
groups, the objective is to establish a wild breeding population of at
least 20 pairs of Barn Owls in southwestern Ontario by the end of
2003, and to create at least 1000 ha of rough grassland habitat during
the same time period.
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