The Northern Pygmy-Owl is a year-round resident of coniferous and deciduous forests in British Columbia and southwestern Alberta. It is at the northern edge of its range in Canada and is very uncommon. Results from the Christmas Bird Count and the Breeding Bird Survey suggest that the national population of Northern Pygmy-Owls has increased relative to about 1970. The species is likely affected by loss of mature forest and nesting cavities, but negative population-level effects have not been documented in Canada. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Little is known of the threats facing the Northern Pygmy-Owl in Canada. It is an obligate cavity nester, and may be adversely affected by loss of snags, veteran trees, other trees with existing cavities, and mature forest (Holt and Petersen 2000). It inhabits regions where intensive logging is ongoing but negative effects have not yet been documented for the species in Canada. Another possible threat facing the Northern Pygmy-Owl is the range expansion of the Barred Owl in western Canada (Darling 2003, Holm et al. 2016). Barred Owls are known predators of small owls and likely also compete for nest cavities (Holm et al. 2016).
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.
