May 7, 2010                                                           Photos & Story by: Monica Lamb-Yorski - The Daily News

Rupert wildlife shelter gives a "HOOT" to Manitoba
North Coast bird is given sanctuary after two years of care from the Golinias

Prince Rupert may be a tad less wise now that HOOT the owl has left town. The two-year old Barred Owl is off to a Wildlife and Ecosystem Protection Program in Winnipeg after spending the last couple of years at the Prince Rupert Wildlife Shelter.

"We answered an email from Manitoba Conservation asking if we had a non-releasable Barred Owl," Nancy Golinia, who along with her husband Gunther run the shelter in Prince Rupert.

Thursday morning the couple delivered the owl in a small cage because it was flying out on Hawkair.

At the airport in Vancouver, helicopter pilot Norman Snihur will transport the owl to WestJet, for the leg to Winnipeg.

HOOT was found two years ago east of Terrace, with injured toes that required surgery. (If you look closely you can see the owl's feet are without claws, meaning it could never survive in the wild.)

The Golinias believe HOOT is a female, but will know more once researchers run some tests in Manitoba.

When asked how she felt about saying "goodbye", Nancy admitted she can't help but become close with every creature that comes their way. "It's crazy. It doesn't matter what comes in, I get attached to it."

Two years ago, when the owl arrived at the shelter, it still had some of its baby feathers intact.

"It was very lonely," recalled Gunther. "We have one more left at the shelter, but it's releasable. I think we've kept it for company."

Soon after the owl arrived at the shelter, eight-year-old Catherine Belgardt learned of its presence and visited with some frozen mice for food that she purchased at a local pet shop.

"She named the owl HOOT when it was really little," recalled Nancy. Belgardt visited the owl regularly.

A wildlife shelter in Nova Scotia has also answered the Barred Owl call and will be sending one to Manitoba as well, said Dr. James Duncan at the Conservation Centre in Manitoba.

"We look after a few owls here," Duncan added.

Nancy thinks it's great that HOOT will have some company.

The Barred Owl (Strix varia) is thought to have made its first appearance in British Columbia in the early 1940's. By 1966, it had appeared on the south coast, and three years later was reported on Vancouver Island. The species is remarkable for its adaptability and mobility.

Barred Owls will accept a variety of habitats, but prefer mixed woodlands with water nearby. They nest happily in urban parks and woodlots, and can be quite approachable. This species is now probably most commonly reported in southern British Columbia.