Alberta wildlife group sees spike in injured boreal owls from Calgary area

This is the calm before the storm at many southern Alberta wildlife rehab facilities, as spring is generally their busiest time of year.

A southern Alberta conservation group is sounding the alarm after taking in an unusual amount of injured boreal owls.

Officials with the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) in the hamlet of Madden say they have admitted three boreal owls since November, which is uncommon in that just a single one was admitted to the clinic in the past decade.

“Boreal owls prefer habitat in remote mountain or boreal forests, but all of the recent intakes of this species were discovered in or near Calgary,” says a Tuesday news release.

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The AIWC believes the sudden uptick in boreal owls in the Calgary area is due to the disruption of their natural food source: mice and voles.

“When populations of these rodents drop, large numbers of owls will leave their usual habitat to find food elsewhere, in a movement known as an irruption.”

As the owls travel to more densely populated areas, their chance of being injured by vehicle strikes or hitting windows increases.

The clinic is currently caring for a boreal owl with a broken clavicle (collarbone), an injury it says the bird likely suffered in a window collision.

The organization is encouraging anyone who sees an injured owl or one they suspect is orphaned to call their wildlife hotline at 403-246-2361.

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