A new owl box has been hung in an Esquimalt park to provide a habitat for one of its nesting owl pairs.
Esquimalt Recreation thanked Bartlett Tree Experts for helping hang a barred owl box in Saxe Point Park Friday. It says the box will provide habitat to some barred owls and potentially attract more owls to the area.
Thanks to Bartlett Tree Experts for helping hang our Barred Owl box this morning in Saxe Point Park! These boxes provide habitat and may attract more owls to the park. Similar but smaller boxes have been erected in Highrock and Esquimalt Gorge Park for Screech Owls #esqparks pic.twitter.com/kXzb5IJDjB
— Esquimalt Recreation (@EsquimaltRec) May 28, 2021
The tweet also says similar but smaller boxes have been hung in Highrock and Esquimalt Gorge Park for screech owls.
Earlier in May, the Township of Esquimalt announced the making of four owl boxes built for specific breeds. They are each intended for one nesting group and were built in response to population pressure in urban environments, according to Esquimalt.
“Owls face enormous population pressure in our urban environments and these boxes will help reduce some of that pressure,” said Mayor Barbara Desjardins.
They also say the boxes will help with pest problems, as Esquimalt says owls have been facing the risk of rodenticide poisoning in the area.
“Raptors and other predators that feed primarily on rodents serve as a natural and chemical-free method of pest control,” said Deanna Pfeifer, a member of Rodentice-Free BC in a press release this month. “A single owl killed by secondary poisoning could have eaten around 1,000 rats per year.”
Residents are encouraged to observe the owls, however, from a distance.
READ MORE: Esquimalt eliminates use of rat poison hours after owl found dead at Saxe Point
Justin Waddell
