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Conservationists seek out hard-to-find black swift nests on Vancouver Island

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Black swifts can fly with a speed up to 111.5 km/h, without landing for eight months a year, and nest around waterfalls

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BC Government Species and Ecosystem Explorer

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BC Government Species and Ecosystem Explorer

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A place to search if a bird is endangered or not

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Note: Search Results will include taxa/communities that meet ANY of the selected criteria within this section AND will be restricted to criteria selected from other sections (e.g., Vascular Plants group that are Red-listed in BC OR are SARA-listed AND in Castlegar AND Endemic).

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Which birds are endangered in BC (red list)?

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Taking Flight: The Conservation of Endangered Bird Species in British Columbia - The Nature Trust of British Columbia

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British Columbia is known for its rich biodiversity, with numerous bird species gracing the skies. However, amidst this vibrant avifauna, several species…

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United Nations: Biodiversity Loss and Endangered Species

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United Nations: Biodiversity Loss and Endangered Species

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What is the United Nations doing about loss of biodiversity?

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Endangered due to logging of old growth forests

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Endangered due to habitat loss and predation by Barred Owl

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Mean abundance by habitat [plot]

Boreal Altai Fescue Alpine

Boreal White and Black Spruce

Bunchgrass

Coastal Douglas-fir

Coastal Mountain-heather Alpine

Coastal Western Hemlock

Engelmann Spruce -- Subalpine Fir

Interior Cedar -- Hemlock

Interior Douglas-fir

Interior Mountain-heather Alpine

Montane Spruce

Mountain Hemlock

Ponderosa Pine

Spruce -- Willow -- Birch

Sub-Boreal Pine -- Spruce

Sub-Boreal Spruce

Characteristics and Range The Western Screech-Owl is a smallish owl that calls with repeated hollow whistles, not screeches. Its larger size and yellow eyes set it apart from the Flammulated Owl. A generalist predator, it feeds on almost any small animal. The species is resident from the coast of southern Alaska and the valleys of the southern interior of British Columbia south in mountainous western North America to central Mexico. It was formerly considered conspecific with the Eastern Screech-Owl, but different vocalizations and subtly different physical characteristics resulted in the recognition of two distinct species. There are two subspecies in British Columbia: M. k. kennicottii on the coast (brownish grey, occasionally very reddish brown) and the somewhat larger M. k. macfarlanei (distinctly greyish) in valleys of southern British Columbia east of the Coast and Cascade mountains.

Distribution, Abundance, and Habitat Western Screech-Owls are found below about 1,000 m in forests along the coast in the Georgia Depression and Coast and Mountains ecoprovinces (except Haida Gwaii) and in the valleys of the Southern Interior and Southern Interior Mountains ecoprovinces. They are found in both the Coastal Douglas-fir and Coastal Western Hemlock biogeoclimatic zones on the coast; interior birds are found in the Bunchgrass, Ponderosa Pine, Interior Douglas-fir and Interior Cedar-Hemlock zones. The Atlas indicates a broader distribution in the interior (particularly along the Fraser River and adjacent valleys near Lillooet, the southern portions of the Kootenay and Columbia valleys, and the Flathead River valley) and a contraction of range on the coast (particularly in the lower Fraser River valley and southeastern Vancouver Island) when compared with the distribution shown inThe Birds of British Columbia published in 1990. For the interior range, this reflects the significant increase in inventory effort for the interior subspecies in the past decade, while the change on the coast probably reflects a real decrease there since the 1990s.

Most Atlas data came from targeted surveys in certain areas, so it is difficult to assess the abundance of the species across the province. The interior population is estimated to be 350-500 adult birds, while that on the coast is thought to number less than 10,000 adults ( COSEWIC 2012).

Western Screech-Owls use a wide variety of wooded and forested habitats, but clearly favour riparian woodlands over most of their range ( Cannings and Angell 2001). On the British Columbia coast, territories are often centred on stream courses lined with Bigleaf Maple ( Acer macrophyllum), while in the interior, screech-owls are strongly tied to riparian woodlands dominated by Black Cottonwood ( Populus trichocarpa), Water Birch ( Betula occidentalis) and Trembling Aspen ( Populus tremuloides).

Conservation and Recommendations The small population of the interior subspecies and historic loss of riparian habitat led to it being listed as Endangered under the federal Species at Risk Act; subsequent inventory effort greatly increased the known range and population there, resulting in a down-listing to Threatened ( COSEWIC 2012). South coastal populations have decreased dramatically since the 1990s, perhaps as a result of predation by the expanding Barred Owl; that subspecies was initially listed as Special Concern under the Species at Risk Act; but was uplisted to Threatened because of those population declines ( COSEWIC 2012). Continued inventory of screech-owls is needed, especially on the central and northern coast where the species is poorly known.

Richard J. Cannings

Recommended citation: Cannings, R.J. 2015. Western Screech-Owl in Davidson, P.J.A., R.J. Cannings, A.R. Couturier, D. Lepage, and C.M. Di Corrado (eds.). The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of British Columbia, 2008-2012. Bird Studies Canada. Delta, B.C. http://www.birdatlas.bc.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=WSOW&lang=en [03 Mar 2025]

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Mean abundance by habitat [plot] Boreal Altai Fescue Alpine Boreal White and Black Spruce Bunchgrass Coastal Douglas-fir Coastal Mountain-heather Alpine Coastal Western Hemlock Engelmann Spruce -- Subalpine Fir Interior Cedar -- Hemlock Interior Douglas-fir Interior Mountain-heather Alpine Montane Spruce Mountain Hemlock Ponderosa Pine Spruce -- Willow -- Birch Sub-Boreal Pine -- Spruce Sub-Boreal Spruce Characteristics and Range The Western Screech-Owl is a smallish owl that calls with repeated hollow whistles, not screeches.

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Endangered due to declining insect populations

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Black swift is a high-flying, elusive bird that nests on steep cliffs in BC and Alberta. During breeding season, Canada is home to about 80 per cent of the North American population of this bird species.

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Endangered due to habitat loss and declining numbers

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Long Billed Curlew

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Endangered due to logging of old growth coastal forests

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The Sunshine Coast Conservation Association (SCCA) has a long history of working successfully to protect old growth forests, species at-risk and wildlife habitat in the greater Sunshine Coast region.

The value of our irreplaceable old forests for biodiversity and habitat preservation, carbon sequestration, climate change mitigation and natural asset management is immeasurable.

In 2019, the BC government appointed a strategic review panel to investigate the state of BC's old growth forest. The SCCA participated in this review process. In April 2020, the panel submitted a report entitled "A New Future for Old Forests". The report confirmed that less than 3% of BC's ancient forests remain. Once logged, these ancient forest ecosystems will never recover.

The old growth review panel recommended that the BC government move as quickly as possible to shift the BC forestry management paradigm. To defer logging of old growth forests while they determine how to protect and manage these forests for biodiversity and ecological values, instead of timber. Protecting these forests is an imminent biodiversity conservation priority.

Additional Background Information

SCCA Letter to Environment Canada re Proposed Recovery Strategy for Marbled Murrelet (March 8, 2014)

Citizens Petition for Assessment of the Imminent Threat to the Survival of the Marbled Murrelet, Georgia Depression Population - SCCA Brief (April 23, 2004)

SCCA Letter to BC government regarding Marbled Murrelet habitat areas in Brittain River (March 1, 2002)

SCCA and WCWC Win One for the Marbled Murrelet in Brittain River - SCCA Press Release (February 18, 2002)

Conservationists Challenge Decision to Log Prime Marbled Murrelet Habitat On The Sunshine Coast - SCCA Press Release (Sept. 18, 2001)

Ask BC's Forests Minister to Protect Old-Growth Now!

My Sea to Sky Letter
My Sea to Sky has set up an online letter you can sign. This is a quick way to get your message to the Premier, the provincial Minister of Forests, and the federal Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations. Here is Sea to Sky's invitation to you to get involved:

"Urgent! Our ancient forest ecosystems are at risk!

Call for an immediate moratorium on old growth logging while the 14 recommendations of the Old Growth Review Panel are implemented.

In 2020 the Old Growth Review Panel called for a paradigm shift in how we manage BC's forests. We need to recognize that ancient forests have intrinsic value for all living things and should be managed for ecosystem health, not just for timber sales.

We cannot talk and log. Less than three percent of BC's ancient trees are left. Once these ancient forest ecosystems are gone, they're gone forever."

Sierra Club BC Letter
Sierra Club BC has prepared a letter that you can sign. It only takes a few moments of your time. Here is their invitation:

"Thanks to public outcry about how little old-growth forest remains in B.C., the provincial government has committed to a paradigm shift in how forests are managed. This task is one of the 'to do' items for forests minister, Katrine Conroy. This task required leadership from day one. And so far, instead of tangible on-the-ground action to protect old-growth forests, we have seen this government continue to 'talk and log' the last of the big old trees.

Please add your voice today to make sure B.C.'s forests minister, Katrine Conroy, walks the talk of protecting at-risk old-growth forests by implementing and fully funding all 14 recommendations made by the Old Growth Strategic Review Panel-a blueprint for working with Indigenous governments to protect these culturally and ecologically significant forests within three years."

Why Protecting Old Growth Matters

Marbled Murrelets

The Marbled Murrelet is a small seabird that nests in old growth forests. It needs very old trees (more than 250 years old) and the trees need to be tall. It builds its nest on mossy platforms that sometimes grow in the crook between branch and trunk. The birds need a relatively open old growth stand structure, but they also need their nests to be well away from human disturbance, such as clear cuts.

Loss of nesting habitat is the major cause of population decline among murrelet populations.

Marbled Murrelets were common everywhere in the inlets of the Southern mainland region only 50 years ago. Large flocks congregated in the Georgia Strait and gulf islands during the winter. Today these flocks are not to be found.

The federal Species At Risk Act (SARA) mandated the establishment of a scientific body to evaluate, on a strictly scientific basis, the level of risk of harm facing any particular species or ecological community.

This body is the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). It is COSEWIC that has determined that the Marbled Murrelet is a Threatened species and that the cause of its precipitous decline is logging of its nesting habitat.

The federal government has placed this species on Schedule 1 of SARA. This means that protections (and actions) for species on this list are mandatory. SARA also mandates recovery planning. It is an offense under the Act to kill, take or disturb the residence of a Schedule 1 species (unless one has a permit).

With our Habitat Area Nomination Project, the SCCA is moving formal nominations for protection of old growth marbled murrelet habitat as Wildlife Habitat Area (WHA) unde the Forests and Range Practices act.

Climate Change

British Columbia is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 16% below 2007 levels by 2025, 40% by 2030, 60% by 2040 and 80% by 2050.

In 2018, BC's gross greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as reported in the Provincial Inventory, were 67.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e). This is an increase of 4.5 MtCO2e (7%) from 63.4 MtCO2e in 2007, the baseline year for our emission reduction targets.

Net emissions in 2018, after including 1.0 MtCO2e in offsets from forest management projects not covered in the inventory, were 66.9 MtCO2e. This is an increase of 3.5 MtCO2e (6%) from 2007.
Conservation and restoration of forests is a critical part of reducing our carbon footprint. However, Forest Carbon Emissions are not accurately accounted for in BC.
The assumption that new forests regenerating on harvested lands will quickly reabsorb enough carbon dioxide to offset emissions created through extraction, soil disturbance, waste, transportation and manufacturing is a false premise. In highly productive lower elevation zones (i.e. CWHdm and CWHxm), newly regenerating forests may take 50 years to reabsorb carbon emissions from logging, if we avoid cutting them down while they are at peak fiber production (carbon uptake).

Higher elevation forests grow in very harsh conditions where regeneration is abundant, but growth is very slow. As well, these forests have very low-disturbance regimes that cannot produce harvestable stands within the normal planning horizon, so logging in these zones is not sustainable.

Old Growth forests that have accumulated volume over hundreds of years have established carbon sinks that can't be replaced once lost.

What We've Achieved So Far

The SCCA has a long history with the Marbled Murrelet; we've been to court three times, written numerous complaints to the Forest Practices Board, challenged a logging corporation's environmental certification, participated in various government-initiated reviews, proposed new Wildlife Habitat Areas (about fifty designated so far), and more.

All these efforts were successful in certain ways but didn't fundamentally resolve the problem of logging in the old growth nesting habitat of this small Threatened seabird, until now!

In the fall of 2020, British Columbia released the draft Marbled Murrelet Implementation Plan (MMIP) and gave us sixty days to make comment.

Canada has in place the Species-At-Risk Act (SARA). The Act requires the federal government to produce a Marbled Murrelet Recovery Plan. We've had this plan for a few years now. There are also two Federal/Provincial agreements in which British Columbia commits to meeting the objectives of the recovery plan.

The draft implementation plan provides the details of how to do this. The Implementation planners have produced an inventory of all murrelet nesting habitat wherever it occurs in coastal BC. You can check out the maps here .

As well, the Implementation Plan contains a draft Order under Section 7 of the Forest and Range Practices Act, that details the amounts and qualities of land that must be protected. The target is to protect an amount of land equal to 80% of the amount of suitable habitat that existed in 2002. Where this standard cannot be achieved, all remaining habitat must be retained. On southeastern Vancouver Island, for example, this means that all remaining suitable habitat will be protected.

In our area, the Sunshine Coast Natural Resource District, this means that ~14,000 hectares of high class suitable habitat will be protected and all suitable habitat in Old Growth Management Areas will be upgraded to Wildlife Habitat Area status.

Updates on Old Growth and the Marbled Murrelet

Introduction Since 2011, the SCCA has provided all candidates engagement opportunities for Sunshine Coast voters to hear from candidates on environmental issues with written Q&A. This year we framed the Q&A in terms of how BC government ministries and mandates intersect with the environment. We hope the background information provided along with the questions helps [...]

This month, the SCCA is celebrating a legal victory that could help the threatened Marbled Murrelet - the bird shown in our logo, which inspired our creation.

The BC Ministry of Forests is hosting a series of public engagement events on the Forest Landscape Plan (FLP) Pilot project for the Sunshine Coast Timber Supply Area (TSA). There are three upcoming events to participate in: Campbell River - November 30th, 5:30pm - 8:00pm Thulin Room, Maritime Heritage Centre, 621 Island Highway Powell River, [...]

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Old Growth and Marbled Murrelet - Sunshine Coast Conservation Association

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The Sunshine Coast Conservation Association (SCCA) has a long history of working successfully to protect old growth forests, species at-risk and wildlife habitat in the greater Sunshine Coast region. The value of our irreplaceable old forests for biodiversity and habitat preservation, carbon sequestration, climate change mitigation and natural asset management is immeasurable.

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Meet four bird Species at Risk in British Columbia

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In British Columbia, four incredible bird species at risk have been keeping our team busy this spring and summer: the Western Screech-Owl, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Murrelet, and Black Swift.

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Conservationists are demanding Ottawa do more to protect the spotted owl, and are threatening legal action against the federal government if it doesn't take more steps to save one of the most endangered animals in Canada.

Environmental advocate group Ecojustice says that there are an estimated six spotted owls left in the wild in Canada - all in B.C. - and the animals are at risk of being completely wiped out.

Ecojustice and the Wilderness Committee want the federal government to come to the rescue of the birds by committing to a tougher plan for the spotted owl in southwestern B.C.

The group recently sent a letter to Catherine McKenna, minister of the Environment and Climate Change, demanding she fulfill obligations to protect and restore species under the federal Species at Risk Act.

"Time is running out," said Ecojustice lawyer Kegan Pepper-Smith in a release.

"We are looking to Minister McKenna to produce a science-based habitat action plan as soon as possible or Ecojustice and the Wilderness Committee will consider taking legal action."

Ecojustice argues that McKenna is required by law to take action under the act, which is designed to prevent wildlife species from becoming extinct.

Northern spotted owls have been defined as endangered since 1986 and are under pressure due to habitat loss. They thrive in old, mature forests and help maintain the biodiversity of those areas.

The birds also face other threats, including competition from other species of owls, the effects of climate change and diseases such as West Nile virus.

There are only 6 Spotted Owl left in the wild and they are in real danger of becoming extinct in Canada. Today, <a href="https://twitter.com/ecojustice_ca?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ecojustice_ca</a> and the <a href="https://twitter.com/wildernews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wildernews</a> submitted a letter to <a href="https://twitter.com/cathmckenna?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cathmckenna</a> demanding that she protects old growth forests where the Spotted Owl live <a href="https://t.co/pYRlihfpsY">https://t.co/pYRlihfpsY</a> <a href="https://t.co/ejLoU4n2g1">pic.twitter.com/ejLoU4n2g1</a>
&mdash; @ecojustice_ca

Pepper-Smith says logging is mostly to blame for destroying the birds' habitat.

"We should never feel comfortable condemning a species to extinction in the name of short-term economic gain and this is something I don't think anyone would be comfortable putting their name on," Pepper-Smith said.

Ecojustice says in order to restore the species, more old growth forests need to be protected from logging.

Habitat protection

Ecojustice wants the federal government to step in because it says the provincial government has not done enough to help the species by allowing logging in areas critical for spotted owls.

"If you don't protect the spotted owl's habitat, you're not going to recover the population. It's as simple as that," said Pepper-Smith.

Breeding program

B.C.'s Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development says it spends $400,000 a year on spotted owls recovery programs.

That money funds the world's only captive breeding program, field research, monitoring and conducting habitat assessments.

Meanwhile, this week the captive breeding program for spotted owls in Langley celebrated the birth of a new chick.

The breeding program hopes to restore B.C.'s wild population to more than 200 adults over the next 10 to 15 years.

The province says as part of its recovery action plan, 303,850 hectares of forests are protected for spotted owls within provincial and regional parks, Greater Vancouver watersheds and wildlife habitat areas.

There was a further win for the birds this week as outcry over plans to log 109 hectares of old growth near Juan de Fuca Provincial Park on Vancouver Island resulted in the government shelving plans to auction off the area for cutting.

BREAKING NEWS: <a href="https://twitter.com/bcndp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bcndp</a> has postponed the timber sale of 109 hectares of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ancientforest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ancientforest</a> next to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JuandeFucaProvincialPark?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JuandeFucaProvincialPark</a>! Thank you to the thousands of concerned citizens of BC &amp; beyond for speaking up for these old-growth forests. Full press release here: <a href="https://t.co/nhmj7zP25o">https://t.co/nhmj7zP25o</a> <a href="https://t.co/C2dUbtPtZL">pic.twitter.com/C2dUbtPtZL</a>
&mdash; @AncientForestBC

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Environmentalists threaten legal action if B.C. spotted owls' habitat not protected | CBC News

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Conservationists are demanding Ottawa do more to protect the spotted owl, and are threatening legal action against the federal government if it doesn't take more steps to save one of the most endangered animals in Canada. Environmental advocate group Ecojustice says that there are an estimated six spotted owls left in the wild in Canada - all in B.C.

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International Union for Conservation of Nature

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International Union for Conservation of Nature

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Search for and research an endangered bird here

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Take a look at what artists are doing to help with bird conservation

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Silent Skies Mural | Artists for Conservation Festival

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" Silent Skies" is an international collaborative super-mural mosaic featuring all 678 endangered species of birds of the world. 160 AFC artists from 15 countries participated in the project. The 100-ft installation will form the artistic centrepiece of the 27th International Ornithological Congress in August 2018 in Vancouver, BC, after which, the mural will tour internationally.