March was been a high-publicity month for great horned owls in Alberta!
Mid-month, we admitted our first baby animal of 2016: a great horned owl nesting who had fallen out of the nest and was brought to the centre. As is often the case with nestling birds, he was found without injury and had a short stay in care before he was returned to the wild.
Thankfully, the finder made note of the nest location on the University of Calgary premises, and our volunteer rescue team was able to return him to his parents and two siblings right away.
Of course, being located on a university campus meant the owl family became instant celebrities, and you can read more about them on CBC news here, and hear AIWC talk about them on CBC Eyeopener radio here.
AIWC has been able to keep an eye on the owlets’ progression on campus and was pleased to see all three owlets fledge successfully, and they’ve been able to move on from their initial nesting site, which was too busy for them to stay too long.
Calgarians were lucky to be able to appreciate urban wildlife so closely, but the crowds they started to draw also started to become a risk to their successful growth and development.
Also making headlines were nesting owls in Kananaskis country. Alberta Parks has closed some climbing routes at Grassi Lakes to minimize disturbances, and you can read more about the closure notices on the Alberta Environment & Parks website here.
Great horned owls can have a long lifespan in the wild (approximately 13 years), but the first year is the most crucial to their survival and where they have the highest mortality rate, as they learn to hunt and adapt to their surroundings. A constant human presence at a great horned owl nest site can cause stress and distraction for the owlets and the adult owls focused on keeping them alive, and it is always best to give them a wide radius so they can be appreciated long-term.
Do you have any owl nesting sites in your area?
4 thoughts on “Great Horned Owls Continue to Make Headlines in Alberta”
Hi
I work at Enmax power plant west of Strathmore. We have a female Great Horned Owl that has a nest on the side of one of our two boilers. I don’t believe her three eggs have hatched yet but it is a high traffic area especially with the maintenance we are performing at site this and next week. We have positioned sheets of plywood around her spot for some privacy and avoid using the staircase beside when at all possible but she still becomes spooked from time to time. The male and her have been around our plant site for the past 3-4 years. I can be reached on my cell at 403-966-6857. We are just curious what is the best course of action to try and help her and the soon to be owlets.
Thanks
Chris Shewchuk
Hi Chris,
One of our staff members will be giving you a call shortly! 🙂 Thanks, AIWC staff.
There was a huge ruckus outside for the last 1 hour – crows and robins scolding one another incessantly. I anticipated a crow ate a robin, and the circle of life was happening. Upon greater reflection there seemed to be a fur ball in the tree. Out came the binoculars and lo and behold a Great Horned Owl was up in the tree resting, wings splayed. I’m thinking it just ate a baby robin. What a creature of beauty! Unafraid and ferocious. I’ll keep an eye on it to see if it moves on.
They are definitely beautiful birds! We’re so fortunate to have them here 🙂