Watch Canada's most endangered 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 J-24 is a female born on April 29 after taking 78 hours to hatch. The chick is now with her owl foster parents, Zalea and Einstein. Zalea is responsible for protecting the chick, while Einstein can be seen bringing food to the family.
Tune in to see the trio, but hurry. It won't be long before the chick will fledge and leave the nest. 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 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 less than five individuals in the entire wild population, all of which are in B.C. They're also amongst the largest owls in North America and they typically lay two to three eggs per clutch. The Northern Spotted Owl 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 has a goal of restoring the wild adult owl population in B.C. to 250. Located in the Lower Mainland, the program aims to release between 10 and 20 juvenile spotted owls each year, and it's the only facility in the world breeding these endangered owls.