Boreal Owl
Boreal Owl has no long-term trend on record.
About the Boreal Owl
The Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) is a North American member of the Owls (Strigidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the birds of prey.
- Size
- 5–27.5 in long (13–70 cm) — a nocturnal raptor (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open country, woodlands, cliffs and wetlands, hunting from the air or a high perch.
- Diet
- Live prey — small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and large insects (carrion for vultures).
- Range
- Recorded on 19 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 4 states, most concentrated in the BCR 4.
- Family
- Strigidae · Birds of prey
Notable Boreal Owl Trends
No notable trend signals for Boreal Owl. See the full index history below.
Boreal Owl Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Boreal Owl is projected to stay roughly flat through 2028, near 0.00 (95% range 0.00–0.00). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±64.1%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2025 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2026 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2027 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2028 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Where the Boreal Owl Is Detected
BBS routes recording Boreal Owl, sized by most recent count.
Boreal Owl Population Trend by State
| Alaska | -72% | 1993 | 15 |
| Colorado | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Idaho | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Montana | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
Boreal Owl Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 4 | -78% | 1993 | 13 |
Boreal Owl Conservation Status
Boreal Owl is tracked across BBS survey routes; no formal conservation-status flag is recorded here.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.