A sighting of a rare Burrowing Owl in Comox was reported to the Comox Valley Naturalists.
Burrowing Owl: photo © S. Moreau
Burrowing Owls are an endangered species undergoing recovery efforts. The last sighting of a Burrowing Owl in the Valley was twenty years ago. This sighting has been reported to the BC Field Ornithologists Rare Bird Committee. A banded Burrowing Owl was also spotted in Tofino within the past couple of months.
The bird’s normal range is much farther to the south & east – it should be wintering in Northern Mexico!
If you see the bird, please use respect when viewing, give it space & do not let pets disturb the bird.
Anne Murray, author & past president of BC Nature, notes that in order to rest and hunt, owls need to sit quietly for long periods of time, familiarizing themselves with the terrain, listening to their surroundings, and conserving their energy. When people approach them too closely and surround them so that they have no obvious escape route, owls can become stressed. This is true of most wildlife.
George Clulow, president of the BC Field Ornithologists, recommends going with binoculars in order to observe from a safe distance, as the birds need space and respect from people.
To contact a birding expert in the Comox Valley Naturalists Society, for more information or to identify rare birds, please email us via this website.
