Burrowing owl

Burrowing owls originally inhabited the four western provinces, with the majority of the population in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The populations in British Columbia and Manitoba are now extirpated with reintroduction being attempted at two sites in British Columbia with limited success. The current population in Saskatchewan and Alberta is estimated at fewer than 1,000 pairs. Two hundred of these pairs reside in Saskatchewan.

The burrowing owl is distinguished from other owls by its small size, long legs and ground-dwelling habits. It is a migratory bird that travels as far south as southern Texas and northern Mexico in the winter months. Courting takes place when the owl returns to the Canadian prairies. After courting, the male begins to modify the burrow they have chosen to use. He lines the burrow with dried plants, feathers and cow dung, which is thought to aid in moderating the humidity and temperature of the burrow. Cow dung is also thought to aid in masking the scent of the owls. The female lays 6 to 12 eggs and incubates them for about four weeks. Two weeks after the owlets are born they begin venturing out of the safety of the burrow. After 3 weeks, they begin learning how to hunt.
Burrowing owls do not dig their own burrows, but they modify the burrows of prairie dogs, badgers, Richardson's Ground Squirrels, coyotes, and even fox. When a predator approaches, the young retreat into the burrow and make a sound like that of a rattlesnake to frighten off intruders - a very effective strategy!

The owls hunt within a 250 metre radius of their burrow during the day and will go as far as 2 - 3 km at night. They restrict the majority of their hunting to the morning and evening. They prey primarily on insects (grasshoppers, beetles, etc.) as well as mice, birds, snakes, and frogs. Predators of the burrowing owl include hawks, eagles, fox, coyote, badger, snakes, and domestic cats and dogs.

The major factor contributing to the decline of burrowing owls is habitat loss. Preferred prairie habitat for the burrowing owl is land that is also considered prime agricultural land. Only 20% of former native prairie remains undisturbed and, in areas such as the Regina Plains, less than 10% of native prairie remains undisturbed. As a result, burrowing owls in the Regina Plains area are not only occupying less productive areas of prairie but they are occupying sites such as ditches, culverts, railway allowances, farmyards and other sites that are exposed to traffic, spraying, cultivation and other dangers.

An equally grave danger to the owls is pesticides. Spraying for grasshoppers with chemicals like Furadan 480F (Carbofuran) significantly reduces the breeding success of the owls, decreases the availability of their prey, and reduces the number of burrowing mammals. Chemicals sprayed over the burrows often kill the owls, or lead to birth defects. Carbofuran interrupts the transmission of nerve impulses and it affects all forms of life. Wildlife will often mistake granules of carbofuran for food or grit, and it can be ingested while preening their feathers. Burrowing owls often consume contaminated grasshoppers, and ingest the poison. Carbofuran has been responsible for at least 50 major bird kills, involving thousands of birds.

Each summer, Grasslands National Park staff monitor the number of owls returning to the park to breed, as well as their nesting success. Data acquired through this monitoring program help assess the overall ecological integrity of the ecosystem and inform management decision for the conservation of the species. Since 2016, Grasslands National Park has launched an experimental supplemental feeding program to help stop the species decline by maximizing the reproductive success of owls breeding in the park.