Eastern screech-owls are the most abundant of the two owl species that breed regularly within the City of Toronto. Eastern screech-owls are more abundant in urban areas largely due to the fact that their potential predators (other owls!) are scarcer in the city! The mature wooded habitat of Toronto's marvelous ravine network provide excellent homes for this secretive species. Eastern screech-owls depend on the availability of undisturbed cavities, big enough to accommodate the sitting female and her brood of 3 or 4 young. Therefore, relatively large standing dead-wood (snags) in a mature forest is absolutely essential. Eastern screech-owls prey on a very wide selection of animals during their nocturnal hunting forays, from songbirds to mice and frogs, and a wide selection of invertebrates such as earthworms, beetles, moths, etc. Mice and rats thrive in the human landscape, particularly in cities, and so the presence of a healthy population of predators such as Eastern screech-owls is extremely important in the natural control of such animals.
Toronto and Region Conservation monitors owls and other wildlife species and plants through biological inventories, and at long-term fixed plots throughout the region. To learn more about the environmental monitoring work underway in Toronto and region and why it matters, please follow us on Twitter @TRCA_Monitoring or visit our Web pages [ Ссылка ]
