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Home > Archive > Apr 5, 2007

Spring Marks Arrival of Burrowing Owl in Utah
By for the Dixie Weekly

Spring is here and the burrowing owl (“Athene cunicularia”) is en route from South America to its breeding territories in Utah.
This small owl is an uncommon summer resident throughout Utah, characterized by its long legs, yellow eyes, round head, and bold white eyebrows. The burrowing owl is different from many other owls in that it is active both day and night, often feeding at dawn and dusk.
Burrowing owls breed in a variety of habitats throughout Utah including arid grasslands, agricultural land, and cold desert rangelands. They also inhabit Mohave Desert areas in Washington County and mid-elevation flatlands along the Colorado plateau. In parts of lower Washington County, the burrowing owl is considered a year-round resident.
As its name suggests, the burrowing owl lives in abandoned mammal burrows and is often associated with prairie dog colonies. However, they have also been reported using ground squirrel burrows, badger dens, coyote dens, and manmade structures such as nest boxes and debris piles.
In Utah, burrowing owls usually arrive in March to establish territories. Upon successful breeding, a nest of 5-9 eggs will hatch in June or July. Once the chicks hatch, they will remain near the burrow and learn to hunt by watching their parents and practicing on nearby insects.
An interesting adaptation of young burrowing owls is their ability to mimic the sound of a rattlesnake. When a predator approaches their burrow, the chicks will retreat down the burrow and produce a rattlesnake rasping sound to deter the predator.
The chicks grow quickly and transform from small downy puffballs to flying juveniles by late summer/early fall. By late fall, adults and juveniles are off again to their southern wintering grounds.
Adult burrowing owls often use the same burrows year after year, while juveniles that successfully fledge are on their own to find new territories the following year.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the Bureau of Land Management classify the burrowing owl as a Utah sensitive species due to declining populations and/or habitat.
As development and agriculture converted much of the burrowing owl’s historic habitat, nesting pairs have been forced to use sub-optimal breeding grounds. However, research suggests farmland can provide quality habitat for burrowing owls when burrows are protected. Burrowing owls benefit from an increased food source in or around farmland. In turn, farmers benefit from the owls eating insects and rodents.
In some areas, researchers have installed and monitored nest boxes in fragmented habitats. Burrowing owls that have used these boxes in the West Desert have experienced good nesting success.
In Iron County, burrowing owls are commonly seen in association with Utah Prairie Dog colonies, and the area is thought to hold the highest population of burrowing owls in the state. For example, researchers from SUU once counted 16 nesting pairs in one pasture southwest of Enoch.
The threat of development and habitat loss that the Utah Prairie Dog faces directly impacts the burrowing owl. Therefore, Utah Prairie Dog conservation efforts are beneficial to the burrowing owl as well as other species that prey upon prairie dogs or use their burrows as shelter.
Much of Utah is suitable burrowing owl habitat, and it is likely there are many isolated populations that go unnoticed by man. The burrowing owls provide a wonderful wildlife viewing experience and are an important part of Utah’s wild ecosystem.
Continued monitoring efforts, education and partnerships with landowners will provide a framework to better assess the conservation needs of the burrowing owl.
What can you do?
    -Report sightings to local wildlife agencies.
    -Enjoy viewing from a distance.
    -Become involved in research.
For more information on the burrowing owl or information on the benefits of installing your own nest box, contact: Rhett Boswell, USU Extension Service, at (435) 559-3261 or Rhett.Boswell@rcdnet.net, or contact Dr. Nicole Frey, USU Extension Service, at (435) 586-1924 or frey@suu.edu.

This article was written by Rhett Boswell for Dixie Weekly News.

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