Canadian Wildlife Service Proposed Listing of Short-eared Owl as Special Concern under the Species at Risk Act ᐊᑐᓕᖁᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᑎᑎᕋᕐᑕᐅᒍᒪᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᓯᐅᑎᑭᑦᑐᑦ ᐅᒃᐲᑦ ᐃᓱᒫᓗᒋᔭᐅᓕᕐᑐᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᔭᐅᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᑖᒍᑦ ᐆᒪᔪᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᓴᓪᓕᓗᐊᖁᓇᒋᑦ ᐱᖁᔭᖓᑎᒍᑦ In April 2008, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessed the status of the Short-eared Owl. COSEWIC determined that the Short-eared Owl should be considered a species of special concern. Canadian Wildlife Service ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᔨᖅᔪᐊᒃᑯᖏᑦ June ᔫᓂ 2009 Doug Dance

CWS Briefed the NWMB June 2008 and December 2008 to inform them of the proposed listing and consultation approach A consultation package was provided to communities in Winter 2009 The purpose of this presentation is to report the results of the consultation ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᖏᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓚᐅᕐᑐᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᔨᖅᔪᐊᒃᑯᖏᑕ ᑲᑎᒻᒪᔨᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᔫᓂ 2008ᒥ ᑎᓯᐱᕆ 2008ᒥᓗ ᐅᖃᐅᑎᔭᕐᑐᑦᑐᓂᒋᑦ ᐊᑐᓕᖁᔭᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᑎᑎᕋᕐᑕᐅᒍᒪᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᖃᓄᕐᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᒃᑲᐃᓂᕆᓂᐊᕐᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑲᑎᖅᓱᕐᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖑᔪᓂᒃ ᑐᓂᔭᐅᓚᐅᕐᑐᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᐅᔪᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᒥ 2009ᒥ ᑖᓐᓇ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᒃᑲᐃᓇᓱᑦᑐᖅ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑐᑭᓯᒋᐊᕐᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ

Short-eared Owl ᓯᐅᑎᑭᑦᑐᖅ ᐅᒃᐱᒃ Here is a photo of a Short-eared Owl. They are about 34 to 42 cm long (13 to 16 inches). They have small ear tufts which gives them their name. Large yellow eyes. 34 to 42 cm 34ᓂᒃ 42ᓄᑦ ᐆᒃᑑᑎ Doug Dance

Annual Cycle… ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑕᒫᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᐸᒃᑕᖏᑦ… Drake Larsen Arrive in Nunavut in April or May Average of 5 eggs Incubation for about 3 weeks Leave Nunavut by late October Feed on lemmings and other small mammals ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒧᑦ ᑎᑭᑉᐸᑦᑐᑦ ᐊᐃᕐᕆᓕᒥ ᒪᐃᒥᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᑕᓪᓕᒪᓂᓗᐊᖑᐊᓂᒃ ᒪᓐᓂᖃᓲᑦ ᐃᕙᓲᑦ ᐱᖓᓱᓗᐊᖑᐊᓂᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓯᕐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᑦ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖅᐸᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᒃᑑᐸᐅᑉ ᓄᙳᐊᓂ ᐊᕕᙵᖅᑐᓲᑦ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ ᒥᑭᒃᑑᑎᓂᒃ ᐊᒫᒪᒃᑎᑦᑎᓲᓂᒃ Mel Wilson Short-eared Owls arrive in Nunavut in April or May. They build their own nest and begin laying eggs by mid-June. They lay an average of 5 eggs. Females incubate the eggs for between 21 and 37 days Short-eared Owls leave Nunavut by the end of October. We’re not sure where they winter. They feed on lemmings and other small “furbearers”.

Habitat… ᓇᔪᖅᐸᒃᑕᖏᑦ… Short-eared Owls range all across Canada and they typically nest in open areas (like fields or tundra). This photo was taken near a Short-eared Owl nest near Cardinal Lake in the ISR in July 2007. The nest was in this patch of low shrubs somewhere. Rian Dickson

Sightings of Short-Eared Owls in Nunavut (1971-2007) ᓯᐅᑎᑭᑦᑐᑦ ᐅᒃᐲᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᖕᓂᖏᑦ ᓄᓇᕘᒥ (1971-2007) Here are locations where Short-eared owls have been reported in Nunavut, the different colours just represent different years that sightings were reported.

Proposed Status: Special Concern ᐊᑐᓕᖁᔭᐅᓂᖓᑕ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᖓᓂᖓ: ᐊᓱᒫᓗᒋᔭᐅᓕᕐᑐᑦ Threats: Habitat loss on wintering grounds Habitat loss on breeding grounds in southern Canada Pesticide use ᐊᑦᑕᕐᓇᕈᑎᐅᔪᑦ: ᐅᑭᐅᒃᑯᑦ ᓇᔪᒐᖃᑦᓯᐊᖏᓐᓂᖏᑦ ᓇᔪᒐᖃᑦᓯᐊᖏᓐᓂᖏᑦ ᐱᑭᐅᖃᕐᕕᖏᓐᓂ ᖃᓪᓗᓛᓂ ᖁᐱᕐᕈᐃᔭᐅᑎᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᕐᑐᖃᖃᑦᑕᖕᓂᖓᓄᑦ Population has been declining for 40 years 23% decrease in numbers in the last 10 years ᐃᓚᒌᓂᙶᖅᑐᑦ ᐅᓄᙱᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᖏᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓂ 40-ᓂ 23% ᐅᓄᙱᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒎᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂ ᖁᓕᓂᑦ COSEWIC has assessed the health of this population and determined it to be a species of Special Concern. Special Concern means that it is sensitive to human or natural disturbances or threats, and although the population is not bad declining at a rate that is high enough for the species to be considered Endangered or Threatened, we need to manage it appropriately to ensure it doesn’t become EN or TH. This owl has suffered a continuing population decline over the past 40 years, including a loss of 23% in the last 10 years.  In 19XX the population estimate for SE Owls in Canada was 20,000-40,000 individuals. The current estimate is between 12, 500 – 25,000 owls. Habitat loss and degradation on its wintering grounds are most likely the major cause of their decline, but continuing habitat loss and degradation on its breeding grounds in southern Canada and pesticide use are secondary threats. Habitat loss and fragmentation affects their ability to find good nesting areas, reduces the food available to them and can increase the amount of predation. Pesticides have been found in the eggs of SEOW, and it may be affecting them the same way it affects Peregrine Falcons – leads to egg shell thinning and fewer eggs hatch. It is worth it to note that this species nearly meets the criteria for Threatened status. They have declined about 23% in the last 10 years. If that number had been 30% in 10 years, they would probably have said they were Threatened. Doug Dance

No prohibitions No critical habitat What are the implications of Special Concern listing? ᑭᓲᐃᑦ ᐃᓚᒍᑦᓯᐅᑎᒐᔭᕐᐸᑦ ᐃᓱᒫᓗᒋᔭᐅᓕᕐᑐᒧᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᕐᑕᐅᒍᓂ? No prohibitions No critical habitat ᐱᔭᐅᑦᑕᐃᓕᔭᕆᐊᖃᖏᓐᓂᖃᔾᔮᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᓴᐳᒻᒥᓂᖅᑕᖃᙱᓪᓗᓂ ᐆᒪᔪᖃᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐸᒡᕕᓴᒃᑕᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᙱᓐᓂᕐᒧᑦ Management Plan ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎ What will it mean if Short-eared Owls are listed as Special Concern? A management plan will be required. A management plan outlines management measures to be taken to ensure the species doesn’t become endangered or threatened. A management plan will be written in cooperation with any interested Aboriginal organizations or Wildlife Management Boards, and it will involve all the provinces and territories that have short-eared owls. Short-eared owls are under the management jurisdiction of the provinces and territories, although Environment Canada would play a role in ensuring that a national management plan under SARA is completed. But there will be no additional restrictions on Short-eared Owls or their habitat than say what already may exist under Territorial legislation.

Community Consultations ᓄᓇᓖᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒋᐊᕐᕕᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᑦ - ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᕐᑕᐅᒍᒪᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᖃᖏᖠᓂᖅ - ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᕐᕿᑕᐅᒍᒪᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᖅ - ᓇᓪᓕᐊᒍᑐᐃᓐᓈᕈᓂ ᖃᓄᐃᑦᓴᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᑭᓯᐊᓂᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᑐᑭᓯᒋᐊᒃᑲᓐᓂᕆᐊᖃᕐᑐᑦ ᒥᑦᓵᓄᑦ ᖃᓄᖅᑑᕈᓐᓇᖅᓯᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓴᓪᓖᑦ - ᓇᓪᓕᐊᒍᑐᐃᓐᓈᕈᓂ ᖃᓄᐃᑦᓴᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᐃᓱᒫᓗᒋᔭᐅᓗᐊᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᑭᐅᓚᐅᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᑎᑭᕋᖅᔪᐊᖅ ᐃᒡᓗᓕᒑᖅᔪᒃ Bathurst Inlet ᖁᓪᓗᖅᑑᖅ ᓴᓂᕋᔭᖅ ᓴᓂᑭᓗᐊᖅ ᐃᖃᓗᑦᑑᑦᑎᐊᖅ ᐅᒥᒻᒪᑦᑑᖅ Arviat – Does not support the listing Rankin Inlet – Does not support the listing Baker Lake – Indifferent to the listing/need more information to make a decision Coral Harbour – Indifferent to the listing/not necessarily concerned Whale Cove – no reply Chesterfield Inlet – no reply Bathurst Inlet – no reply Kugluktuk – no reply Hall Beach – no reply Sanikiluaq – no reply Cambridge Bay – no reply Omingmaktok – no reply

Next Steps ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᕐᓂᐅᓛᓕᖕᒥᔪᑦ CWS will make a formal request for decision on approval of the proposed listing of Short-eared Owl as Special Concern under the Species at Risk Act ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᖅᑏᑦ ᑭᐅᔭᐅᓪᓚᑦᑖᕈᒪᓂᐊᓕᕐᑐᑦ ᐊᖏᖅᑕᐅᒍᒪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᑐᓕᖁᔭᐅᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᓯᐅᑎᑭᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐅᒃᐱᓂᒃ ᐃᓱᒫᓗᒋᔭᐅᓕᕐᑐᒨᕐᑕᐅᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᑖᒍᑦ ᐆᒪᔪᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᓴᓪᓕᓗᐊᖁᓇᒋᑦ ᐱᖁᔭᖓᒍᑦ.

Does the Board have any comments or concerns regarding the community consultation approach and proposed listing of Short-eared Owl as a species of Special Concern? ᑲᑎᒪᔩᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᒃᓴᖃᖅᐸᑦ? ᐃᓱᒫᓘᑎᒋᔭᖃᖅᐸᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᓕᖕᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᓖᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒋᐊᕐᕕᒋᔭᐅᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᐅᖁᔭᐅᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᓯᐅᑎᑭᑦᑐᑦ ᐅᒃᐲᑦ ᐃᓱᒫᓗᖕᓇᖅᓯᔪᑐᑦ? Doug Dance