Owls of Canada: Species, Habitats, and Where to Find Them

Canada is home to more owl species than most birders realize. Fourteen species breed or winter here regularly, ranging from the Arctic-nesting Snowy Owl to the tiny Northern Saw-whet hiding in suburban woodlots. This guide covers identification, habitat, seasonal behaviour, and practical tips for finding owls across Canadian provinces.

How Many Owl Species Live in Canada

Fourteen owl species are confirmed as regular residents or winter visitors in Canada. A few additional species — such as the Barn Owl — have extremely limited ranges and are considered at risk.

Species counts and range data reflect eBird Canada records updated through early 2026.

Great Horned Owl: Canada's Most Widespread Raptor

The Great Horned Owl breeds in every province and territory. It is the earliest nesting bird in Canada — females incubate eggs in January and February, sometimes when temperatures drop below -30°C. Nests are almost always repurposed from Red-tailed Hawks, crows, or herons.

Key identification features:

• Large ear tufts set wide apart
• Yellow eyes, white throat patch
• Wingspan 91–153 cm
• Deep, resonant hoot: "hoo-h'HOO-hoo-hoo"

Great Horneds take prey as large as Great Blue Herons and skunks. Their grip strength is roughly 300 psi — enough to crush a rabbit's spine on contact.

Snowy Owl: Arctic Breeder, Winter Visitor

Snowy Owls nest on the open tundra from Baffin Island west to Yukon, typically above the treeline. In irruption years — when lemming populations crash — large numbers move south into southern Quebec, Ontario, and the Prairies between November and March.

The 2013–14 irruption brought over 500 confirmed Snowy Owl sightings in Quebec alone. Irruptions of similar scale occurred in 2017–18 and again in 2023–24.

Where to look in winter:

• Open agricultural fields near Montreal and Quebec City
• Airports (Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier, Winnipeg Richardson)
• Lakeshores along Lake Ontario and Lake Erie
• Prairie grain fields in Saskatchewan and Manitoba

Snowy Owls hunt by day, making them the most photographed Canadian owl species. Males are whiter; females and immatures show heavy dark barring.

Boreal Species: Great Grey, Boreal Owl, and Northern Hawk Owl

These three species share the boreal and mixed forest zone and rarely appear far south unless food shortages push them out.

Great Grey Owl is the longest owl in Canada by body length (61–84 cm), though lighter than the Great Horned. Its facial disc — the largest of any owl in North America — acts as a parabolic reflector for sound. Great Greys can detect voles moving under 60 cm of snow and plunge through crusted snowpack to catch them.

Boreal Owl is nocturnal and secretive. Males call persistently from late February through April in dense spruce-fir forest. Population estimates are difficult; most data comes from targeted banding stations in Alberta and Ontario.

Northern Hawk Owl behaves unlike any other Canadian owl. It hunts by day from exposed perches, hovers like a kestrel, and has a long tail that gives it a falcon-like silhouette. It does not migrate predictably but will irrupt south in low-prey years. Look for it in burned-over boreal areas with standing dead trees.

Small Owls: Saw-whet, Screech-Owls, and Flammulated

Northern Saw-whet Owl is the most common small owl in Canada and probably the least-seen. Migration monitoring at banding stations — Project Owlnet operates 130+ stations across North America — shows that thousands pass through southern Ontario and Quebec each October. Adults are brown with white-streaked crowns; second-year birds show a strong buff-orange wash on the belly.

Eastern Screech-Owl occurs in two colour morphs: rufous and grey. In Canada, it is largely restricted to the Carolinian zone of southwestern Ontario. Nest boxes in mature hardwood lots increase breeding density measurably — one study in the Niagara region recorded an 18% increase in confirmed breeding pairs over four years after a box installation program.

Western Screech-Owl occupies coastal BC from Vancouver Island south. It has declined in the Lower Mainland, partly due to competition and predation from the expanding Barred Owl population.

Flammulated Owl is the only small, dark-eyed owl in Canada. It breeds in ponderosa pine forests of the BC interior and is strictly insectivorous — unusual for owls. Call is a low, soft "poot" repeated at intervals.

At-Risk Species: Burrowing Owl and Barn Owl

Burrowing Owl is listed as Endangered under SARA (Species at Risk Act). The Canadian population — almost entirely in Saskatchewan and Alberta — dropped from an estimated 2,000 pairs in the 1990s to under 1,000 pairs by the mid-2010s. Loss of native grassland, pesticide reduction of prey insects, and vehicle strikes on rural roads are primary causes. Recovery programs now operate artificial burrow systems on several Prairie reserves.

Barn Owl barely persists in Canada. Fewer than 30 breeding pairs are documented annually in BC's Fraser Valley and Ontario's Niagara Peninsula. Cold winters cause direct mortality; the Barn Owl has no dense body feathering adapted for freezing temperatures.

Where and When to Look for Owls in Canada

Quebec and Ontario

• Saw-whet migration: mid-October through early November; banding stations near Ottawa, Kingston, and Haliburton
• Great Horned hooting season: December through February, urban parks and ravines
• Snowy Owl: December–March in open fields; St. Lawrence Valley corridor is reliable
• Barred Owl: year-round in hardwood and mixed forests; responds readily to playback after dark

British Columbia

• Western Screech-Owl: coastal lowland forests, year-round
• Flammulated Owl: Okanagan pine forests, May–August
• Great Grey Owl: Cariboo and northern interior, year-round
• Northern Hawk Owl: burned boreal areas north of Prince George

Prairie Provinces

• Short-eared Owl: active grasslands at dusk, April–August
• Burrowing Owl: native grassland sites, April–August; several Wildlife Management Areas in Saskatchewan have active colonies
• Snowy Owl: grain fields, November–March

Owl Identification by Sound

Visual identification at night is rarely practical. Learning calls is the most reliable method for species confirmation.

Use Merlin Sound ID or the Cornell Lab's audio library to cross-check field recordings before logging a confirmed sighting.

Setting Up Your Garden or Property for Owls

Owls do not come to seed feeders. Attracting them requires habitat, not food provision.

What actually works:

• Install a nest box for Northern Saw-whet or Eastern Screech-Owl (entry hole: 7.5 cm diameter, mounted 3–6 m high on a tree)
• Reduce or eliminate rodenticide use — secondary poisoning kills owls more reliably than any other factor
• Leave dead trees standing; cavities are essential for several species
• Plant dense conifer hedgerows for daytime roost cover
• Reduce outdoor lighting near woodlot edges; artificial light disrupts hunting behaviour

A 2022 study from Ontario found that properties with no rodenticide use within 500 m had 2.4x higher winter Saw-whet detection rates compared to treated properties.