Greenways give a hoot about a little species of owl. The Western Screech-owl Conservation and Stewardship project, which Greenways is now a part of, has installed close to 200 nest boxes for Western Screech-owls. The Western Screech-owl, Megascops kennicottii, is a fascinating species that camouflages dramatically against the trees that it roosts in and has a call that resembles the sound of a bouncing ball. There are two subspecies of Western Screech-owl that range in BC: a coastal and an interior subspecies. Both subspecies are blue-listed in BC and listed as Threatened federally. Here on Vancouver Island, we are home to the Coastal subspecies Megascops kennicottii kennicottii.
Habitat loss is one of the major factors contributing to the decline of both of the province’s subspecies of Western Screech-owl. One instance of habitat loss occurs when “danger trees” are removed. Oftentimes, these trees are in a stage of decay that gives them another name, “wildlife trees”, for their habitat value. This decay makes them increasingly suitable to secondary cavity nesting species, like the Western Screech-owl, as they occupy holes excavated by woodpeckers. Greenways works with volunteers, including secondary school students in SD72, to provide nesting habitat by building, installing and monitoring nest boxes. Western Screech-owls will readily inhabit nest boxes installed in appropriate habitat. Greenways, along with Madrone Environmental Consulting, and the We Wai Kai First nation, are installing nest boxes in the Beaver Lodge Forest Lands where wildlife/danger trees have been removed.
