This handsome medium-sized owl, with its unusual dark-brown eyes, relies on old-growth forests to roost, nest and forage. In Canada, the endangered northern spotted owl is found only in the southwestern corner of mainland British Columbia.
Because of many decades of unsustainable destructive logging of old-growth forests, currently biologists have been able to locate only one wild born spotted owl, an adult female residing in the unceded territory of the Nlaka'pamux community of Spô’zêm (Spuzzum) First Nation, located in the Fraser Canyon area near Hope BC.On February 25, 2021 the BC government announced a one year deferral of logging in Spô’zêm Nation territory - home to Canada's last surviving spotted owl still living in the wild. Since that time the logging deferral has been extended into 2025. The historic population of spotted owls is estimated to have been 500 pairs.
Because of dangerously low numbers of northern spotted owls in Canada, the Wilderness Committee is demanding:
Permanent strong protection for the valleys that surround the last wild spotted owl.
Protection of all remaining critical spotted owl forest habitat throughout their Canadian range in southwest BC.
Enough protected forest habitat to accommodate a self sustaining population of 250 spotted owls
Proper funding and staffing for BC's Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program
BC to release every year into protected critical habitat captive-bred spotted owls with enough on-the-ground staff support to allow for owl survival.
The recovery of spotted owls to 250 birds in a self sustaining population where captive release is no longer needed.
PDF Maps Showing Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Designations
In January 2023, the federal government finally released a draft amended recovery strategy that attempted to identify Spotted Owl critical habitat. Below is maps showing approximations of Spotted Owl "Core" and "Potential Future" critical habitat designations extracted from the recovery strategy map image. Both of these habitat designations together need to be identified as "Core" critical habitat and permanently protected to ensure the survival and recovery of the Spotted Owl.
Map showing approximations of Spotted Owl "Core" and "Potential Future" critical habitat designations extracted from Jan 2023 draft amended recovery strategy. Both designations are needed to be protected for the owl's survival and recovery.
This second map below is the same as the first one above, however it shows in addition the 295 approved and pending cut blocks (as of Feb 17, 2023) that overlap with the Spotted Owl approximate "Core" and "Potential Future" critical habitat extracted from the recovery strategy map image.
Map showing approximations of Spotted Owl "Core" and "Potential Future" critical habitat designations extracted from Jan 2023 draft amended recovery strategy, and 295 overlapping approved and pending cut blocks (as of Feb 17, 2023).
ArcGIS Online Web Map of Spotted Owl Critical and Suitable Habitat, Protection and Logging
This map shows several map layers that you can turn on and off (with the eye icon beside each layer), including:
Habitat map layers in colour shades of medium and dark green - the Federal Government (Environment and Climate Change Canada) Draft Proposed Critical Habitat (as appearing in the Jan 2023 Draft Amended Spotted Owl Recovery Strategy), and Spotted Owl Suitable Habitat (Canadian Spotted Owl Recovery Team 2004 Model Criteria applied to 2018 Vegetative Resource Inventory/Forest Cover data); No Harvest Spotted Owl "Long Term Habitat Areas" Wildlife Habitat Areas, existing Parks and Protected Areas; approved and pending approval cut blocks, and logging company tenures and operating areas; private lands, First Nations treaty and reserve lands and some provincial government spotted owl management SBOT layers.
To get more information on individual layers, in the legend beside the layer click on the "three dot" icon, and then click on the "i" information icon in the drop down list, which will open another browser tab. You can click on individual features on most map layers on map to get more information on those features in a pop up window that will appear. You can change the basemap imagery/background map with the button in top right of map.
A WHODUNIT STORY: THE FINAL CHAPTER In my work to conserve wild nature spanning more than 30 years, I’ve witnessed the population of endangered spotted owls in Canada dwindle to almost nothing in southwest mainland BC, the only place in the country they’re found. Before the start of industrial...
