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- © Ned Harris, Tucson, Arizona, June 2009 - from AllAboutBirds.org
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I chose the burrowing owls (Athene Cunicularia) after reading about them I found it fascinating how they use an interesting type of habitat that I had not heard about before. Burrowing owls have a federal status of species of concern in several states including Washington. In Canada they are an endangered species and in Mexico they are a threatened species. I also found it troubling that from 1968 to 2005 they have seen a 1.5% annual or an overall 45% decline. While the burrowing owl’s were once common in British Columbia, in 1979 they were considered an extinct species and attempts since 1983 have been made to bring them back to the area.
The burrowing owl is generally found in Eastern Washington and the western portion of the United States in grassland and shrub-steppe habitats. They prefer a diet of insects and small animals, and are normally found on the ground or on low perches. Burrowing owls are known to use abandoned burrows left by small mammals such as ground squirrels and badgers for their nests. It appears that they do not have the ability to dig these nests for themselves.
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| City of Mountain View-Burrowing Owl |
The greatest threat to the species is rapid development of suburban areas. Also, the elimination of ground squirrels and badgers as well as other small burrowing creatures has caused a lack of available nesting sites and a decrease in the population. To contribute to the problem, the shrub-steppe ecosystems are being converted into irrigated farm land eliminating access to one of the burrowing owl’s natural habitats. Even so, the decline has not been rapid because they are adapting to new habitats better than some other species. The burrowing owls are being studied and tracked via live webcams that document the burrowing owls. They are federally protected by the migratory treaty act and surveys should be performed before starting construction projects to determine if it would have an impact to the burrowing owl's habitat.
I chose the burrowing owl because I thought they were adorable. They have much longer legs than most owls and the thing that most surprised me in doing the research was the shrub-steppe habitat that I did not hear about before. One thing we can all do to help is to not use pesticides, as well as encourage others around us to avoid using them. Another idea would be to dig a few holes in your parents back yard at a slight angle to create a potential home for them. Just be sure to check with local utilities and owner of property for permissions first.
Works Cited
"WildWatchCams - Burrowing Owls", Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, accessed 14 Nov 2017 <http://wdfw.wa.gov/wildwatch/owlcam/b_owl.html>
"Burrowing Owl", City of Mountain View, accessed 14 Nov 2017 <http://www.mountainview.gov/depts/cs/shoreline/explore/owl.asp>
"Burrowing Owl", All About Birds, accessed 14 Nov 2017 <https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Burrowing_Owl/id>
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