Great horned owls take up residence in downtown Kelowna

Nature lovers in Kelowna have had a rare treat for the past few weeks: a family of owls has been living in a pine tree near the Rotary Centre for the Arts downtown.

The nest has three owlets and their mother, who have been making themselves at home, leaving bits of less-than-pleasant refuse like pigeon feathers and rat tails.

Rena Warren, who's spent spring break teaching an art class for kids at the Rotary Centre, says she's been watching the owls for about a month.

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"I noticed there was three little heads bobbing around in the nest and I noticed there were parents lingering around," she told Radio West host Rebecca Zandbergen. "They're almost as big as a large cat, so it's really cool to watch. They've grown exponentially."

Warren says she's never seen owls nest in such an urbanized area, but she may be seeing these owls for many years.

According to Hinterland Who's Who, great horned owls usually live their lives close to the nest they were born in, and unless they are victims of humans, can live over a decade.

With files from Radio West