11/26/2025
One of Canada’s most endangered owls made an extremely rare appearance in Calgary!!!
There are an estimated 650 barn owls left in Canada, with populations only known to exist in small parts of Ontario and British Columbia.
- MJ
Barn Owl ~ Calgary, Alberta
Last confirmed sighting here 2020
Sharing this feels surreal. The shot itself isn’t anything extraordinary, but the moment was. This Barn Owl was easily one of my top three bucket list birds to photograph. I just didn’t expect to do it here. At the time, I was actually focused on another favorite of mine—the Long Eared Owl—when two Ravens appeared, clearly intending to harass it. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, something soaring out of the bush caught my attention. While I was admiring the bird’s beautiful white bottom my brain couldn’t quite process what I was seeing… but then the Owl turned, locking eyes with me, and it hit me: “That’s a *expletive* Barn Owl!”
I managed to carefully reposition and capture this shot—the only decent one I could get. But I’ll treasure it, not for its technical achievements, but for a rare and magical experience. A Barn Owl in a city it doesn’t belong. That’s not something you forget... even if your brain takes a moment to catch up.