You can use it for research or reference. To access the current site visit current site.
The Great Gray Owl is found in boreal forests across western and central Canada. It is not well monitored in Canada, although there are data from the Christmas Bird Count and, more recently, from owl surveys in Ontario and Manitoba. Data from these surveys suggest that the population has shown little overall change since 1970, but the trend is somewhat masked by periodic population spikes that follow cyclic peaks in prey populations. The reliability of this assessment is considered low. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Great Gray Owl populations respond dramatically to large, cyclic changes in the populations of voles, their preferred prey (Bull and Duncan 1993, Hipkiss et al. 2008). Forest harvest is the most important human influence on populations, since it can reduce breeding habitat quality through the removal of perch and nest trees (Bull and Duncan 1993). Habitat management suggestions include the design of small, irregularly-shaped harvest patches, retention of perch trees within cutblocks, and protection of known nest sites (Bull and Duncan 1993).
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
