BURROWING OWL

an endangered species in Canada since 1995

(also called a "ground owl")
burrowing owl, www.naturespicsonline.com
image credit: Alan and Elaine Wilson, Nature's Pics Online

WHERE THEY LIVE

Burrowing owls live on the prairies. In Canada they nest in southern Saskatchewan and Alberta. There have been sightings in southern Manitoba. The owls are being reintroduced in southern British Columbia. Burrowing owls use burrows that were dug by badgers, ground squirrels or foxes.

DESCRIPTION

It is a funny looking owl with long thin legs. It looks like it is standing on stilts. There are white eyebrows over its large eyes. The feathers are brown with white spots. The underparts are light-coloured with brown spots.

burrowing owl with an insect, naturepicsonline.com
image credit: Alan and Elaine Wilson, Nature's Pics Online

FOOD

Burrowing Owls eat a lot of insects. Their favourites are grasshoppers and beetles. They also eat small birds, mice, voles and ground squirrels.

burrowing owl with a vole
image credit: Alan and Elaine Wilson, Nature's Pics Online

NESTING and the YOUNG

The burrow is lined with dried plants, feathers and cow dung (dried manure). Six to twelve eggs are laid. Not all the eggs hatch at once. The egg that is laid first hatches first. The nest can get overcrowded. The older ones stand outside near the doorway and wait for the parents to bring something to eat. The parents might use more than one burrow as a home for the young owls. It is also safer to have more than one burrow.

owl family by the burrow
image credit: Alan and Elaine Wilson, Nature's Pics Online

ADAPTATION and PROTECTION

The brown feathers make it harder to spot the burrowing owl in the dry grass. If an enemy comes near the father sounds an alarm and tries to lead the animal away from the burrow. If an enemy enters the burrow the young make a hissing noise that sounds like a snake. This scares some animals away.

Burrowing Owls migrate south for the winter.

ENEMIES amd DANGERS

This little bird has many enemies.

Snakes, owls, hawks, badgers, skunks, foxes, weasels, cats and dogs eat the young birds or the eggs. Humans are also their enemies because people destroy the nesting areas.

The burrows can get flooded during a heavy rainfall.

The young learn to fly at four weeks and are able to fly well at six weeks.
young burrowing owl spreading wings , naturepicsonline.com
image credit: Alan and Elaine Wilson, Nature's Pics Online

THE BURROWING OWL IS DISAPPEARING

Why is this happening? Here are a few reasons.

  • The Burrowing Owl has many enemies.
  • The grasslands where the owl likes to live are disappearing.
  • There are not enough burrows for the owls to live in.
  • If there are not enough grasshoppers and small animals, the Burrowing Owl cannot find enough to feed its family.

HOW PEOPLE CAN HELP

People have to leave the nesting sites alone. Farmers must be careful when spraying for weeds and for grasshoppers. If Burrowing Owls live nearby the spray might be harmful to these little owls .


drawing of a burrowing owl


CANADIAN ANIMALS

BURROWING OWL information, reports


images courtesy of : Alan and Elaine Wilson; Nature's Pics Online
license Creative Commons Attribution-share Alike 3.0 Unported

information gathered from the pamphlet Prairie Threatened Wildlife and Hinterland Who's Who

drawing by J.Giannetta

J.Giannetta, (2001) updated 2011
jgiannet@hotmail.com

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