Barred owls are out and about in abundance this fall and, with cameras in nearly every pocket, Greater Victoria residents are capturing them in some scenic settings.

The barred owl has dominated the region in owl sightings in recent generations with the first recorded on the Island in 1969.

TheyB次元官网网址檙e the ones most people are familiar with. TheyB次元官网网址檙e a large owl, easy to see you donB次元官网网址檛 need binoculars and they will hang out anywhere, from a forested area outside of town to the Central Branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library.

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B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e basically in every small park and neighbourhood in Victoria. We donB次元官网网址檛 have a real good estimate on how many there are,B次元官网网址� said Ann Nightingale of the Rocky Point Bird Observatory.

The RPBO does a saw-whet owl banding program and occasionally catches a barred owl in the process.

This year more than 20 were counted through that process.

B次元官网网址淪o theyB次元官网网址檙e around in good numbers for something that was barely here 50 years ago,B次元官网网址� Nightingale said.

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While the saw-whet is easily the most abundant owl in the region B次元官网网址� particularly as they head south each autumn B次元官网网址� the barred is the most visible.

RPBO is currently seeking funding to do a tracking project on barred owls to answer some of the questions about numbers, territorial range and other behaviours.

Share your owl or other wildlife photos/videos with the community. Email them to christine.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca.