Boreal Owl
Scientific name:  Aegolius funereus
Family name:  Strigidae
Are they endangered?  No, they are not endangered worldwide.  [IUCN Red list: Least concern]   Individual places in the world have decreasing numbers of these birds.  An example is the United States [New Mexico] where they are listed as:  Of Concern.
What are their past/present problems?  Cutting down forest areas is a problem for Boreal owls, since this is where they live.
What do they look like?  These birds have dark brown backs with white spots and white bellies with brown spots.  Their facial disks are gray with white around the eyes.  The eyes have a ring of light yellow around them.

How big are they?  They are about 1 foot long.  If they fully spread out their wings, they would be about 2 feet wide.  They are small birds.
How many eggs do they lay?  Females lay between 2 and 6 white eggs once a year.  The eggs hatch in 5 weeks.
How long do the fledglings stay in the nest?  They don’t actually make nests.  They live in holes in trees or in old woodpecker holes.  The young birds [fledglings] leave the nest in about 5 weeks.
When do they hunt?  They hunt at night.  [nocturnal]
What do they eat?  Best of all, they like to eat MICE and other small mammals they find.
Where do they live?  They can be found in Europe, Asia, Scandinavia, Canada, and the United States.
What kind of place do they like to live in?  They like pine, spruce, and fir forests.
Interesting facts:
These birds have really good hearing.  They can hear MICE even if they are under a lot of leaves or snow.

Works Cited:

Aegolius funereus.  18 Jan. 2008.  <http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/48587/all>.

Alderfer, Jonathan.  Complete Birds of North America.  Washington, D.C.:  National Geographic, 2006.

Alsop, Fred.  Birds of North America.  New York:  DK Publishing, 2001.

Boreal owl.  4 Oct. 2007.  <http://www.peregrinefund.org/Explore_Raptors/owls/boreal.html>.

Traynor, Chris.  “Re: Picture Donation.”  [Boreal Owl picture]  E-mail to Club Web.  8 Feb. 2008.