E - The Environmental Magazine

Written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss

Dear EarthTalk: What is the Burrowing Owl Conservation Network and why is it so important to put so much effort into saving one species?                               -- Ginny Bateman, Portland, OR

November 9, 2012 (California) --  Western burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) are tiny, long-legged members of the owl family, native to the Americas and preferring open landscapes where they can dig new holes or use existing ones (such as abandoned prairie dog, skunk or armadillo homes) to nest and rear their young. Unlike most other owl species, these small but charismatic birds are more often seen out and about during daylight hours, but they are most active and do their primary feeding at night, preferring a diet of small rodents and large insects.

March 6, 2012 (Sacramento)--Scientists from the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and PRBO Conservation Science have completed a study on the effects of climate change on vulnerable birds. This first-of-its-kind study prioritizes which species are most at risk and will help guide conservation measures in California. The study was published last week in the journal PLoS ONE.