A wildlife photographer in Canada was left speechless after inadvertently capturing images of a rare bird of prey.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that Brendon Clark was on the hunt for a shot of a long-eared owl when he spotted a barn owl.
"I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me," he said as he quickly captured a few priceless shots of the bird, the first live specimen spotted in Alberta since 1999. "It was so surreal."
Barn owls are relatively common worldwide, but they're incredibly rare in Canada and virtually unheard of in Alberta. There are only around 650 individuals left in the wild in small parts of British Columbia and Ontario. The last known sighting of the bird in Alberta was a deceased bird found in southeast Calgary in 2021, according to CBC.
The barn owl is instantly recognizable with its fetching white heart-shaped face, but for its prey, that visage is the mask of death incarnate. They fly silently at night, using their outstanding sense of hearing to zero in on prey. Their ears are asymmetrically placed, allowing them to home in on the tiniest of sounds with frightening precision. Little wonder that a single barn owl claims around 1,000 rodents a year.
This ruthless efficiency makes them natural allies to farmers, but humans don't always hold up their end of the bargain. Land clearance and the use of pesticides have caused barn owl populations to decline in some areas. As the name suggests, they like to use old buildings for nesting, which are abundant in Europe but less so in Canada.
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The chance discovery highlights the critical importance cameras play in conversation work worldwide. Whether it's a trail camera in a well-chosen position, or a camera wielded by a fortunate photographer, even a fleeting glimpse of a rare predator is immensely valuable. The most effective local conservation measures stem from a strong understanding of an area's wildlife.
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