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Bird Studies Canada thanks the British Columbia Ministry of Environment for funding towards the BC-Yukon Nocturnal Owl Survey

Birders are invited to participate in a new survey of owl populations in British Columbia!

Because of their nocturnal habits, owls are notoriously difficult to count. Owl populations have not been surveyed effectively by any large-scale program in North America. However, recent pilot studies undertaken by Bird Studies Canada and other groups in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario have shown that owl populations can be monitored using volunteer-based surveys of calling birds.

The Survey

The BC Nocturnal Owl Survey monitors trends in owl populations through road-based methods similar to those used in the Breeding Bird Survey. 

Participants survey their route at least once per year in the following months: February on the south coast, March in the southern Interior and April in central and northern BC and the Yukon. Additional surveys can be carried out in other late winter and spring months if the participant wishes. Routes consist of 10 to 30 stops positioned 1.6 km apart along secondary roads. At each stop, the observer simply listens for two minutes and notes any owls heard. Each survey takes about 1 to 2 hours (not including driving time to and from the survey site). Surveys must be done in good weather, and also must be completed before midnight, so no-one will fall asleep at the wheel on some remote mountain road. 

No tape playback is used, since playback is difficult to standardize and significantly lengthens the amount of time spent at each stop. Results from the first two years of surveys indicate that owls are detected in good numbers using this method in the Interior of British Columbia. We are adjusting the protocol this spring to try to bring numbers of detections up on coastal surveys. Participants receive annual newsletters and tax relief for travel expenses incurred during the survey.

All photos copyrighted by Richard Cannnings

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