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Burrowing Owls Seen at Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge This Summer

This summer, a family of Burrowing owls returned to Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge! Visitors and staff alike got the opportunity to watch the family grow from two adults to an addition of five cotton ball babies. Now fledged, babies and parents alike will be migrating south to Mexico for the winter.

Burrowing owls are unique from other owl species, both for their appearance and habits. These small birds are slightly bigger than a robin and have strikingly long legs. They hunt both during the day and at night, as opposed to most owls that exclusively hunt under the cover of night.

As their name suggests, Burrowing owls live underground in burrows. Although they can dig their own, they often use the tunnels dug by other animals, such as prairie dogs, badgers, and ground squirrels.

Like many of our other grassland birds, the Burrowing owl prefers open space and short grass. The sparse vegetation allows the owls to find food easier, such as grasshoppers, mice, and other small creatures. If the vegetation cover becomes too dense, their prey becomes harder to find and the owls will have to move to other hunting grounds. A decade ago, Burrowing owls were found on Bowdoin, but undisturbed prairie created a buildup of grass litter and growth, causing the owls to move elsewhere.

Prairie evolved with disturbance by grazing and fire, both of which help remove old grass build up in different ways, which in turn, creates a variety of habitat for a variety of wildlife. If left completely undisturbed for too long, too much litter creates an unhealthy prairie. This impacts the ability for young Burrowing owls, ducklings, and grouse chicks to walk around and forage in the prairie is hindered.

By introducing both grazing and controlled fires to Bowdoin, we are able to remove the litter of built-up dead grass, decrease greasewood, and reduce the number of non-native grasses on our prairies.

Through management and patient diligence, Bowdoin is working to create healthy and diverse prairies, allowing Burrowing owls, Sharp-tailed grouse, various grassland songbirds and ducks, and much more to call our refuge their home. Feel free to come visit and see what nature has to offer!

 

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