Boreal Owl
Aegolius funereus
Synopsis: No nests of this cavity-nester have ever been found in Oregon, although there are several records from suitable habitat during the breeding season. Breeding may be restricted to coniferous forests high in the Wallowa Mountains and perhaps the Cascades.

Habitat Associations:
strongest
Subalpine Scattered Trees & Shrubs (6063 acres)
strong
Mountain Hemlock Montane Forest (26500 acres)
Northeast Mixed Conifer Forest (175890 acres)
lesser
Grassland & Fir-Ponderosa Interspersed (21770 acres)

Relative Detectability: Very difficult to detect due to its nocturnal habits and its tendency to vocalize and breed early in the spring, when snow blocks access to its likely nesting areas.

Challenge: Determine if autumn birds in the High Cascades (e.g, Waldo Lake, Mount Hood) remain year-round to breed. Search higher parts of the southern Blue and Ochoco Mountains. This is among the least-understood species that nest in Oregon.