Vancouver park owls a big hoot for wildlife lovers

2 month_ago 29

British Columbia

Hundreds of radical person been flocking to Douglas Park to get a glimpse oregon photograph of a household of barred owls that has taken up residence successful a tree.

Crowds person descended connected Douglas Park to drawback a glimpse of the city's newest feathered celebrities

Karin Larsen · CBC News

· Posted: May 24, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Fans flock to Vancouver parkland to spot caller owl family

A household of owls that has made its location successful a Westside Vancouver parkland is lighting up societal media — and drafting large crowds. As Karin Larsen reports, the newcomers are taking their newfound personage successful stride.

They've been flocking to Vancouver's Westside by the hundreds, equipped with binoculars, cellphones, cameras and elephantine telephoto lenses, each successful the anticipation of capturing a glimpse oregon photograph of the city's newest celebrities — a household of barred owls that has taken up residence successful a Douglas Park tree.

Drawn by societal media and birding assemblage word-of-mouth, the crowds person been showing up for days, according to radical who unrecorded nearby.

"This is truthful interesting to beryllium adjacent to wildlife," said onlooker Taye. "I emotion birds and I person birds."

Several radical crook and strain to look up. One wields a camera with a ample telephoto lens.

"It's a large delight for me. I'm a birder, and you don't spot owls successful the metropolis excessively often," said Rudy Braun.

Depending connected who you speech to, owls successful this household dwell of a mother, begetter and 2 oregon 3 fledglings.

The Owl Prowl connected Vancouver's westbound broadside whitethorn look a small aggravated but radical person been quiet, respectful and thrilled to drawback a glimpse of the Barred Owl family. <a href="https://t.co/o9BewIoyDm">pic.twitter.com/o9BewIoyDm</a>

—@ianhanomansing

When CBC visited Douglas Park 1 afternoon, determination was an ever-changing assemblage of astir 20 radical watching the 2 adults arsenic they perched connected branches not acold from their nesting hole.

A tiny shot of grey fluff — presumably 1 of the owlets — was hardly disposable higher up successful the tree.

A traditional-looking owl with a circular feathered face, acheronian eyes and crisp yellowish beak.

Considered by immoderate an invasive species, arsenic municipality creatures go, barred owls consciousness exotic by Vancouver standards.

"It's amended than the rats we get astir here. And the coyotes," said neighbourhood nonmigratory James Kung. "For once, we person existent wildlife."

As a precaution, the metropolis has enactment a obstruction astir the nesting histrion and hung signs asking that radical beryllium quiet, support dogs away, and not linger excessively long.