Owls on the Ground

Owls on the Ground

Burrowing Owls, if present, can be easier to see than most owls because they are active during the day (diurnal) and do not hide out in trees. They nest and roost on the ground and are often found standing outside a burrow, which they defend vigorously from intruders. Unlike other owls, this owl will actually use odoriferous nest materials, including mammal scat (feces), to create a deterrent for other mammal predators that might want to enter the nesting burrow.

These owls do not dig their own burrows, but use those created by other creatures such as Ground Squirrels. So the suppression of Ground Squirrels also hurts Burrowing Owls. In places like Point Reyes, they also have used badger burrows, but the badger is a mammal that also may be declining in numbers. Fewer squirrels and badgers = fewer burrows for burrowing owls.

Burrowing Owls are approximately 9" tall, most of which is accounted for by their long legs.These long legs aid these owls in plucking rodents and other creatures out of tall grasses.

Burrowing Owls are very vocal, and have a wide range of different calls. Click here to listen: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Burrowing_Owl.html The main call is given only by adult males, usually when near the burrow to attract a female. A two-syllable "who-who" is given at the entrance of a promising burrow. This call is also associated with breeding, and territory defence. Other sounds called the "rasp", "chuck", "chatter", and "scream" have been described. Juveniles give a rattlesnake-like buzz when threatened in the burrow, and adults give a short, low-level "chuck" call to warn of approaching predators. This is usually accompanied by bobbing the head up and down.
Species of Special Concern

Burrowing Owls have been declining in California for years and are classified as a California Species of Special Concern in our state. In 2003 attempts to get stronger protection for the owls as a state endangered species were denied by the California Department of Fish & Game.

These owls have many natural enemies, including larger owls, hawks, falcons, badgers, skunks, ferrets, armadillos, snakes, and domestic cats and dogs, and are often killed by vehicles when crossing roads, but the primary reason for this owl's decline is human development and agriculture that results in loss of habitat for the owl.

Additionally, the poisoning of ground squirrels and other smaller rodents also results in the poisoning of their predators. Burrowing Owls include insects as a large part of their diet, so insecticides also play a role in their decline. These owls are getting hit from all sides!

Badgers, Ground Squirrels, Burrowing Owls, rodents and insects are connected in a tenuous web. When a single strand is broken the consequences are far-reaching. John Muir said it best: "When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world."

To learn more about these efforts, visit the website of the Marin-based Institute for Bird Populations http://www.birdpop.org/