Historically, the ultimate factor responsible for the decline in Burrowing Owls in Canada was the conversion of grassland to cropland, as well as the fragmentation and degradation of remaining grasslands. However, reductions in prey populations, climate change and severe weather, vehicle collisions, effects from the expansion of renewable energy, and predation may be the biggest current threats to Burrowing Owls. (Species Registry)

In Canada, this small owl is restricted to older Douglas-fir and Ponderosa Pine forests of the southern interior of British Columbia. The species requires mature coniferous forests with a mosaic of large-diameter, old trees, clumps of dense regenerating younger trees and small patches of shrubby grassland for breeding. The extent and quality of this habitat was significantly reduced through the early to mid-1900s by forest harvest. Ongoing threats include forestry practices that remove large trees and snags, epidemics of insect pests such as the Mountain Pine Beetle and catastrophic fires combined with the species’ small population, limited distribution, small clutch size and delayed breeding of males. (Species Registry)

The Canadian population of this widespread nomadic owl breeds in open grassland, tundra, and wetland habitats in all provinces and territories, and winters in southern Canada and the United States. The use of new atlas-based population estimation procedures suggests that the size of the Canadian population is about 31,000 mature individuals, roughly 10% of previous estimates. Its numbers vary over space and time in response to cycles in the availability of small mammals—its main prey. This adds uncertainty to estimates of the rate of decline in the Canadian population. Data from both the Breeding Bird Survey and Christmas Bird Counts indicate a decline of more than 30% over the past three generations. The Canadian population is projected to continue to decline because of future threats, including reduced availability of nesting and wintering habitat resulting from crop conversion, agricultural intensification, urbanization, and invasive plants. In low Arctic habitats, increased growth of shrubs as a result of climate warming (shrubification) will further reduce prey availability and increase predation risk. (Species Registry)

This owl requires old-growth forests for its survival and has suffered a catastrophic population decline over the past 50 years as habitat is lost and fragmented. With the severely depressed population, an additional threat is the recent arrival of the closely related Barred Owl as a breeding bird in B.C.; this species competes with and hybridizes with the present species. Its historical population of about 500 adult owls in Canada has been reduced to 19, and only 10 of these are in breeding pairs. All adults are old and near the end of their breeding age and there is no recruitment of young owls into the population. If current trends are not reversed, extirpation will likely occur within the next decade. (Species Registry)

Loss of foraging habitat due to marked changes in agricultural practices and other land uses threaten both the Eastern and Western populations. The availability of nesting sites has also severely declined, owing to the conversion of old, open wooden farm buildings to modern, closed metal structures. The extent to which this trend has been mitigated by recent nest box programs is equivocal; some success has been documented in British Columbia but not in Ontario. Barn Owls are also particularly susceptible to being killed on roads, which represents a significant cause of mortality. Finally, because Barn Owls are poorly adapted to low temperatures and deep snow, bouts of severe winter weather act to limit populations in Canada. (Species Registry)

This distinct subspecies endemic to Canada has a small population of fewer than 2000 breeding individuals, restricted to the islands of Haida Gwaii off the Pacific coast of British Columbia. It is a forest specialist, preferring older coniferous forests with abundant nesting snags and an open understory. Numbers of breeding birds are anticipated to further decline over the next 15 years as a consequence of ongoing forest harvesting. Other continuing low-level threats to this subspecies include problematic invasive, introduced and native species, accidental mortality from road collisions and effects of forest fires. As just over 70% of Haida Gwaii is now within protected areas reserved from forestry operations, including National Park Reserve, provincial park, and reserves under the Haida Gwaii Strategic Land Use Agreement, this subspecies is not at risk of imminent extinction. (Species Registry)

An estimated 90-95% of the North American population of this Arctic owl breeds in Canada. In 1995 the species was assessed by COSEWIC as Not at Risk because it was widespread, with no evidence of decline. Since then, improved estimation techniques have revised the population size downward by an order of magnitude. Data from the North American Christmas Bird Count (CBC), which capture trends in the southern portion of the wintering range, show a decline of 42.6% (2.3% annually) over the last 3 generations or 24 years. Indigenous knowledge from Baffin Island and the Yukon coast reports that this species is observed less frequently than before, likely due to warming conditions. Ongoing threats to the species include avian influenza, poisoning with anticoagulant rodenticides, collisions, electrocution, and, although specific impacts over the next three generations are uncertain, changes on breeding and wintering grounds brought about by climate change. (COSEWIC)

This small owl has shown serious declines in the southern part of its range in Metro Vancouver, Victoria and the Gulf Islands areas, where it has nearly disappeared over the last 10 to 15 years. Based on observed declines reported in Alaska, it has likely also declined in the northern part of its range, but the magnitude of the decline is unknown. The population is thought to be relatively small (less than 10,000 adults) and the owls face ongoing threats including predation from newly established populations of Barred Owls, and the removal of dead trees and snags, which serve as nest sites and roosts. (Species Registry)