Watch Northern Spotted Owls in their nest
Watch Canada's most endangered owls in their nest
B.C.'s popular owl nest webcam is back with a newly welcomed northern spotted owl chick. Chick D was born on April 18 after being artificially incubated for 34 days. The chick was then hand-raised and is now with first-time foster parent duo, Jay and Bella. The two were also hatched and raised at the Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program in 2014 and 2017.
Tune in to see the trio, but hurry. It won't be long before the chick will fledge and fly away. The peak time for seeing activity in the nest is typically between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., as well as between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. This is when food is provided to the adults, although it's hard to predict when they’ll actually deliver the food to the chick.
Breeding program is critical to helping this endangered species
The Northern Spotted Owl is the rarest owl in Canada, with only 10 individuals in the entire wild population – all of which are in B.C. They’re amongst the largest owls in North America and typically lay two to three eggs per clutch. This captive breeding program is a critical part of the recovery effort of this owl in Canada.
The BC Hydro-supported Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program hosts the webcam with the Northern Spotted Owl Breeding program, which has a goal of restoring wild adult owl population in B.C. to 250. Located in the Lower Mainland, the program releases between 10 and 20 juvenile spotted owls each year, and it's the only facility in the world breeding these endangered owls.