‘The coolest looking birds you’ll ever see’: Owl explosion delights Edmonton-area bird lovers

Bird watchers say they can't believe how many rare species of owls have been spotted in Edmonton lately. Matt Woodman explains why.

Self-proclaimed “bird nerd” and nature photographer Nick Carter said he’s been grabbing rare shots with unusual ease this year.

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He’s one of many local sky watchers to notice a recent influx in the number of not-often-sighted owl species in the Edmonton area – including the majestic great gray owl.

“In years past, you were lucky to see one of these things on a day’s drive,” Carter said. “On my previous outing, I saw three great gray owls within just a couple minutes of each other.”

“It’s definitely very exciting and I feel very lucky.”

Most bird watchers, according to Nature Canada, will never see a great gray owl – due to the fact that the birds generally breed and nest in the same northern taiga forests their entire lives.

This year is a bit different, said Jon van Arragon, a biologist at the Beaver Hills Bird Observatory.

He explained that the great greys, and other species like northern hawk owls and boreal owls, have made a rare move south to find their favorite foods.

“They feed on mice and voles, and when in the boreal forest, you see a dip in the number of mice, then those owls need to move elsewhere,” he explained, adding the scientific term for the influx is an irruption.

“During our owl monitoring program that we ran from September to November, we actually had a pretty unprecedented number of boreal owls,” van Arragon said. “Typically, we catch zero of those owls in a season, on a lucky year, one.

“This year, we caught four.”

WildNorth, a local wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre, has also been seeing more than its normal share of the normally secretive birds.

“This year has definitely been the year of the owl,” said Dale Gienow, WildNorth executive director.

“In 2023, we had a single injured great gray brought in. This year, we had 20 great gray owls brought in – so a huge increase,” he added.

Because owls like great gray’s have no peripheral vision (thanks to eyes that are fixed in their sockets), they’re at risk when hunting in populated areas.

“They see those rodents on the other side of a roadway … and they’re going after that mouse, (and) they often get hit by cars,” Gienow said.

While irruptions – like population booms and busts – are a natural part of the life cycle, they’re unpredictable.

“You never know when another big owl irruption is going to occur, so you really want to make the most of it,” Carter said.

“It’s just incredibly cool,” van Arragon said. “Great gray owls are one of the most charismatic, one of the most elusive and one of the coolest looking birds you’ll ever see.

“So it’s amazing to see this many of them this far south and it’s a rare treat.”

If you’re an amateur photographer or budding ornithologist, WildNorth is offering three upcoming courses on how to safely capture owls on camera.

“Proceeds go to help WildNorth in the work that we do here, and you get lots of opportunity to see some of those beautiful birds in the wild, ethically done,” Gienow said.

More information can be found on the WildNorth website.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Matt Woodman