Burrowing Owl
Athene cunicularia hypugaea
Betsy Dionne- Senior Management Analysist
SPECIES OF THE MONTH
Burrowing owl
• State Species of Special Concern
• Small (7-10 inches) brown and white
raptor
• Large yellow eyes
• Wingspan: 20-22 inches
• Some individuals are migratory
• Adult lifespan: 9 years
• Prey includes small mammals,
invertebrates, reptiles, and
amphibians
• Nests underground in burrows
• Current range: Washington south to Baja
California, across the Midwest to
Louisiana and Florida, and down into
Central Mexico
• Mitigatory owls may migrate as far as El
Salvador
• Owls are sparsely located within open
lowlands
• Breeding owls may be year-round
residents
• Some individuals may only winter in the
MSHCP area
Burrowing owl
Burrowing owl
• Semi-colonial
• Active during the day with hunting often
occurring at dawn and dusk
• Breeding occurs March thru August
• Lay 6-11 eggs
• Young can fly around 4 weeks after
hatching
• Threats to the species include conversion
of grassland to development, rodent
control, corvids, and prolonged drought
• Grassland, playas and vernal pools,
some agricultural land, and sparsely
vegetated coastal sage scrub
• Prefer low vegetation
• Often associated with California ground
squirrel
• Require large open spaces to forage for
prey
• Require the use burrows for protection,
roosting (sleep, rest), and nesting cover
Habitat
• 49,590 acres of suitable habitat
• 5 Core Areas and interconnecting linkages
• Support breeding populations of approximately
120 burrowing owls with at least five pairs in
each Core area.
• Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area the
known nesting locations of the burrowing owl.
Species Objectives
Species Objectives
• Surveys
• Pre-construction presence/absence surveys
will be performed prior to ground disturbance.
• Translocation sites
Preparing for a Translocation
• Assessment of the birds to be moved
• Artificial burrows
• Hacking cage
Translocations
• Collaboration
• Increased success
• Management tools
Management
• Monitoring
• Remote cameras
• Peeper scopes
• Management
• Burrow repairs, cleaning
• Habitat – grazing, mowing
THANK YOU!