Owls flock to Ottawa

Grey great owls, a sub-Arctic bird usually found along the tree line and in the boreal forest, are ending up in downtown Ottawa this winter. A natural dip in the cycle of their small animal prey has sent them south looking for food.

But in Ottawa, the huge birds aren’t faring well: despite their keen vision and hearing, they are low-flying night hunters and often vulnerable to being hit by passing vehicles.

Nine have ended up injured at the Wild Bird Care Centre in Nepean, where six have died as a result of their injuries.

“There was nothing we could do,” said Sophia Kipin, an avian care specialist at the centre.

The remaining three are recovering from broken legs and wings.

More than 3,000 birds are treated every year at the non-profit centre. Last year, an injured young tundra swan from Iqaluit was brought down for treatment and shipped back in the spring to rejoin the flock of geese migrating north.

Birds that can’t make the adjustment back to nature are put down.