Saving the Prairies' Burrowing Owl Population

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The burrowing owl migrates roughly 3,400 km per year, making its southern home in Texas and Mexico, and arriving back in Canada in early spring. Its home is unique: an abandoned burrow lined with livestock dung (thought to help mitigate the risk of flooding, control humidity and/or mask the odour of the burr0w). A predator for insects and small rodents, the burrowing owl has an obvious and valuable place in supporting agriculture, but unfortunately, its numbers are extremely low.

The Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre in Moose Jaw.
The Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre in Moose Jaw.

In 1979 the burrowing owl was first declared a threatened species in Canada. Unfortunately, its status has only worsened, and in 1995 was officially an endangered species. Today, there are ongoing efforts to re-introduce burrowing owls into Manitoba and British Columbia and increase populations in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

In an effort to raise awareness of population decline — and thereby aid in recovery efforts — the Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre (SBOIC) opened in Moose Jaw in 1997. Today, the centre provides homes to both wild, captive owls and their imprinted counterparts, ensuring an awe-inspiring welcoming for those who choose to drop by.

In this video, Adam Berenik, summer associate at SBOIC, provides population estimates and describes what landowners and civilians can do to help burrowing owls on the prairie landscape.

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