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 in Alberta and, more recently, from the Nocturnal Owl Survey in Ontario and Manitoba, these data are insufficient to establish the status of the population in Canada relative to 1970. The Great Gray Owl is therefore currently considered Data Deficient. 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.
