Get Close Up and Personal With BC Owls
Get close up and personal with the owls of British Columbia at the Richmond Nature Park on Sunday, November 15, 7:00 – 8:30 pm. Register to attend this all-ages event and see an unforgettable live owl presentation by Ted Williams of the Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (O.W.L.), followed by an opportunity to have your photo taken with one of these elusive birds.
Thanks to it’s mix of wooded areas and open fields, Richmond offers ideal habitat to a variety of owl species. Barn owls, as their name suggests, are associated with open farmlands, and have long been a friend of farmers due to their voracious appetite for rodents. Pound for pound, the Barn owl may consume more rodents than any other creature.
The Great Horned Owl is a more wide-ranging species, found from the Sub-Arctic areas of North America, all the way South to Tierra del Fuego in South America. With equally wide-ranging taste, the Great Horned Owl enjoys skunks, weasels, armadillos, bats, gerbils, ducks, reptiles and fish.
Barred owls are a more recent arrival to coastal BC, having emigrated from Alberta during the 1940s as old growth forest was cleared. Unfortunately this has been bad news for the native Spotted Owl, whose populations are in decline due to habitat loss and competition for the more aggressive Barred Owl. Humans, on the other hand, generally appreciate their majestic new neighbours. Barred Owls provide easy viewing opportunities since they tend to live in suburban areas, and can also be seen hunting during daylight hours, especially when raising owlets.
If you haven’t been lucky enough to spot an owl in the wild, you’ll be sure to see them at the Richmond Nature Park this Sunday. Ted Williams will introduce these fascinating creatures and share his extensive experience with raptor rehabilitation at O.W.L. This program is suitable for ages six to adult. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
The cost of this event is $4 per person and pre-registration is required. Phone 604-276-4300 or 604-718-6188 to pre-register or visit www.city.richmond.bc.ca for online registration.
The Richmond Nature Park is located at 11851 Westminster Highway.
