Owls
In The Park
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Western Screech-OwlMegascops kennicottii
Weight: 157 - 250 g. (female).
131 - 210 g. (male)
Length: 21 - 24 cm. Wingspan: 51 cm. Longevity: maximum recorded is 13 years in the wild, up to 19 in captivity. Average is just a few years. Status in Stanley Park:
20 or 30 years ago this would have been
the resident owl for the
park, but now we have only rare reports of this
species.
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The photo above is of a captive bird, undergoing rehabilitation at O.W.L.
During the call-out survey in March 2008 there was a response from a Screech-owl in the area south of Beaver Lake. Later in the year there was a possible sighting north of Beaver Lake.
In September 1999 when I was far less familiar with the different Owl species I did record seeing an eared owl, with yellow eyes in the same area. I referenced the size in relation to the small bird box on which it was perched - approximately the same height. For some reason I assumed it to be Great Horned Owl - possibly because that species was known to frequent the park at that time. Recent re-examination of the bird box revealed it to be 21 cm high - a much closer match to the Western Screech-owl!
For more information and range, etc. I suggest a visit to Owling.com (Western Screech-Owl).