Western screech-owl (Otus kennicottii) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 11

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Summary of Status Report

In this report the Western Screech-owl is divided into two populations, Otus kennicottii kennicottii and Otus kennicottii macfarlanei, each a separate subspecies with a range that does not overlap in Canada. O. k. kennicottii is found over a large portion of coastal BC and has a population that numbers in the thousands. Abundance is poorly known for the north coastal portions of this subspecies, although it seems to be relatively common at lower elevations on much of Vancouver Island. Population trends are unknown in these areas. In south-eastern Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland area, populations appear to be declining rapidly based primarily on strong anecdotal evidence. The apparent decline is thought to be due to the recent establishment in southern BC of the Barred Owl, a species which preys on Western Screech-owls. Urban development and forestry practices may also have affected the amount of available habitat. If population declines are mainly due to Barred Owl populations, then a reversal of these declines will be difficult to implement.

O. k. macfarlanei is found in the interior of BC, primarily in the Okanagan Valley. Although the subspecies has probably always been uncommon or rare in BC, numbers are currently known to be very small based on a recent survey. The population is thought to number in the low hundreds, or in a worse-case scenario, may total less than a hundred individuals. It is thought that its population is declining at an unknown rate due to habitat loss. Riparian and other low-lying habitat favoured by Western Screech-owls is being developed fairly rapidly for housing and agricultural uses in the Okanagan region. It may be possible to slow declines in the population if some appropriate habitat is protected from development.