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BURROWING OWL
Athene cunicularia
Original range | Current range | Estimated population | Threats to survival | Species recovery | Partners and links
Description: The burrowing owl, distinguished by its very long legs and short tail, is one of the smallest owl species. It gets its name from nesting in burrows dug by animals such as ground squirrels, badgers and prairie dogs. Burrowing owls are also known as "Howdy Owls" because of their habit of bobbing up and down in a bowing motion, a behaviour that likely allows them to determine distance from multiple viewpoints. Young owls in the nest make a rattling sound similar to rattlesnakes to ward off predators.
Burrowing owls in the northern part of their range migrate south for the winter. They are nocturnal (active at night), although unlike other owls, they are somewhat active during the day.
Burrowing owls feed on rodents, large insects (such as crickets, beetles and grasshoppers), and small reptiles and amphibians. They breed in spring, laying 6-12 eggs. About 50% of hatchlings survive, taking 40-45 days to fledge.
Original range: Prairie grasslands of central and southwestern Canada, central and southern United States and Mexico, and South America.
Current range: In Canada, the burrowing owl has virtually disappeared from Manitoba and British Columbia. In the remainder of the owl's original range, they exist in greatly diminished numbers in isolated fragments.
Estimated population: Fewer than 1,000 pairs in Canada. Population numbers in the United States are not known.
Threats to survival: Habitat is lost and fragmentated: as shortgrass prairie are increasingly converted to growing crops. In addition, efforts by farmers to reduce ground squirrels, prairie dogs and insects diminish available burrow nest sites, roosting sites and food sources, especially during migration. Predators: nest predation by badgers, foxes, skunks, weasels and snakes, adult predation by coyotes and raptors. Insecticides are another threat: owls ingest carbofuran when they feed on insects.
Species recovery: WPC has been contributing funds and expertise to the burrowing owl recovery program in Saskatchewan since 1997. The owl's population is declining at 16% to 24% per year. WPC's fieldwork consists of:
providing supplemental food and predator-proof nest boxes to breeding pairs.
monitoring the population in the Regina Plain Study Area.
experimentating with different release techniques.
radio-tracking juvenile owls to determine survival and dispersal patterns.
researching the effect of different land-use and grazing techniques on the small mammal populations that the owl's feed on.
Results to date indicate that providing predator-proof nest boxes and supplemental food has increased the number of offspring fledged by 40%. The release of captive-bred owls has met with moderate success. Captive-bred adults will mate, nest and successfully fledge young. However, it is not clear whether or not the adults or their offspring migrate successfully. We continue to explore release techniques. Research on juvenile survival indicates that 40 - 45% of the juvenile owls die prior to departing on migration. Finally, thanks to radio-tracking work, we now know that Canadian owls migrate to Texas and possibly over-winter as far south as Mexico.
Over the next 3-5 years, WPC will continue work on burrowing owl research and recovery efforts in collaboration with our partners.
For continuing updates, see field reports on the right of this page.
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Photographs by Richard Fyfe
Photograph by Ray Poulin and Danielle Todd
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| Burrowing Owl field reports | |
> B.C. Field Report December 2006
> B.C. Field Report December 2005
> Field Report 14, July 2003
> Field Report 13, June 2003
> Field Report 12, Aug 2002
> Field Report 11, July 2002
> Field Report 10, May 2002
> Field Report 9, Sept 2001
> Field Report 8, July 2001
> Field Report 7, June 2001
> Field Report 6, May 2001
> Field Report 5, Aug 2000
> Field Report 4, July 2000
> Field Report 3, June 2000
> Field Report 2, May 2000
> Field Report 1, April 2000
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