Ric Slaco

A barred owl made a surprise appearance in broad daylight in downtown Vancouver this week, even stopping to show off its successful kill to passing pedestrians. Ric Slaco, vice-president and chief forester for Interfor, snapped a photo of the owl Monday at about 1 p.m. outside the Bentall IV building. It appeared to be clutching a pigeon in its talons. “There were a dozen crows squawking in the tree above,” he added. Although barred owls have been steadily expanding their range across western North America, it’s still unusual to see one hunting right in the middle of a big city — even though peregrine falcons do it. Robin Bown, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said Tuesday that this is the time of year when owls born in the spring are dispersing in search of available habitat.