For the Birds

“ The Silent Killers Amongst Us “

One of the greatest birding attractions of the South Okanagan is that we host so many owl species. There are only 5 ( out of 19 ) breeding owl species in North America that are not represented in this region. Granted, some are irregular visitors like the Snowy Owl and the Northern Hawk Owl. The elusive Flammulated Owl just visits in the spring/summer to breed. The Burrowing Owl is officially extirpated from B.C., but is making a comeback thanks to human intervention. The Northern Spotted Owl is the only B.C. breeding owl that is not found here and, unfortunately for this species, due mostly to habitat loss, it is almost gone ( extirpated ) from the province.

Despite the fact that the South Okanagan is a great place to see/hear owls, the question remains as to why it is so hard to find them. The obvious answer is that most are nocturnal, and do their hunting under the cover of darkness. It is that time of day that we often hear them with the most common, Great Horned Owl, making its presence known in a variety of habitats, many of which are close to our homes. During the day these nocturnal birds basically hide away unseen by us, and birds of prey like certain hawks that look on owls as a potential meal.

There are a lot of cool physical attributes that all owls possess to one degree, or another, that make them successful predators, and, at the same time, make them so interesting to people. For one, all owls, especially nocturnal owls, have really big eyes, a necessary physical attribute if you are going to hunt at night. It has been estimated that proportionate to body size, if humans possessed owl sized eyes ours would be as big as grapefruits!! Their nighttime vision is 3 times more sensitive than humans and is equivalent to cat vision. Their eyes, however, are fixed in place, so to adapt to this restriction their flexible necks can rotate up to 270 degrees, a physical trait that when seen gives most humans a literal pain in the neck.

To enable owls to “ sneak up “ on their prey; ( mostly rodents ), their flight is basically silent. Unlike when a raven or eagle flies by and we can hear the pronounced swoosh of their wings , an owl’s flight produces no sound. They accomplish this by having downy hair like addendums to their wings. These hairs cause air turbulence around their wings in flight, thereby breaking down the pressure waves that cause vibrations that cause sound that we, and, potential prey can hear.

A third physical characteristic that assists an owl in hunting mode is the shape of their faces. Most owls have faces that resemble a parabolic dish, and stiff facial hairs around the rim of “ this dish “ focus the sound waves generated by their prey moving around towards their ears which are mostly hidden within the facial area. For a Great Grey Owl, for example, this superb hearing ability allows them to hear and locate their main prey, voles, even though they may be under up to about a half meter of snow.
So, where in the South Okanagan can we have the opportunity to see and admire these great birds. In the birding community that probably generates more questions than answers. Because owls have a definite attraction to humans, and can be relatively sedentary during the day, when a bird is found, the unwritten rule is not to publicize its location. This is because an owl can make a perfect photographic opportunity, and, in populous areas like the Lower Mainland, once an owl’s daytime location is known, many photographers looking for the perfect shot, will swarm to the area, and harassment of the bird can be an unfortunate consequence. Nevertheless some general suggestions can be ethically made. Certainly anywhere along the Oliver hike-bike trail all the ways to Osoyoos Lake can generate some daytime sightings.
Many rural properties in and around Oliver have owls roosting, and invitations by property owners can be rewarded by owl sightings. Up the forestry/secondary roads like Shuttleworth Creek behind Okanagan Falls, McKinney Road behind Oliver and Kilpoola Lake Road West of Osoyoos will often lead outdoor enthusiasts to sites where at least they can hear owls ( if going after dark ). For those who might like to try their chances during the day, there are a couple of species like Northern Pygmy Owl, and Barn Owl, that are often most active during the day.

It really helps, of course, if bird watchers are familiar with what the owls look like for identification purposes, or what they sound like for the same reason. As I have mentioned before purchasing a good printed bird guide ,or an inexpensive app for your smartphone that has pictures and calls will only make your bird watching experience that much better. Similarly there are a couple of good printed guides that specifically describe sites for finding birds locally. If anyone would like further information on any of the above or have questions about birding in the South Okanagan they are welcome to contact me at:

thormanson@live.com. Good birding.