The cute, brown and white speckled Florida burrowing owl, (Athene cunicularia) with its long legs and short tail, white eyebrows and big round yellow eyes, is the only own species out of 171 species worldwide, that lives and makes its nests underground.
Weighing in at a mere 6-oz., 9-in. tall with a 21-inch wingspan, the owls, listed as “threatened,” in the state of Florida, due to loss of habitat, can be found year-round in Florida, Mexico and parts of South America.
“The main threat (to the burrowing owl) is the continued loss of habitat,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission says on its website. “Threats to habitat include construction activities, development and harassment by humans and domesticated animals.”
The burrows, owls and their eggs are protected from harassment and disturbance by Florida state law.
In addition to their loss of habitat, the owls are at risk from flooding and natural predators, especially iguanas, an invasive species in Florida.
“Once you see them, they capture your imagination,” says Kelly Heffernan, an avian biologist and the founder and director of Project Perch, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of the Florida burrowing owl.
She founded Project Perch with the South Florida Audubon Society in 2008.
“They’re one of the only bird species with eyes in front of their face, like humans,” she says. “This gives them an endearing quality.”
Typically, the Florida burrowing owl may dig its own nest or utilize the abandoned burrows of prairie dogs, armadillos, skunks, or pocket gophers. Project Perch creates artificial burrows using inexpensive, 40-in. PVC sewer pipes which act as nesting chambers for the birds and irrigation control boxes, which become their home.
They get buried in the ground and covered by 6-in. of dirt and connected to the pipe which goes up to ground level. In front, volunteers put a bed of white sand to attract the owls to the burrow. When the birds fly out at night to hunt, they’re attracted to the white sand to burrow.
Breeding season is February 15 to July 10 and the owls live an average of six to eight years. Both parents take care of their young until they are ready to fly the coop, about 40 days after hatching.
Females lay up to eight eggs within a one-week period, and they will incubate the eggs for up to 28 days. Once the babies are born, they remain in their burrows for two weeks. They begin learning how to fly at four weeks, but will not be able to fly well until they are six weeks old. They continue to live with their parents until 12 weeks old.
Burrowing owls are different than other owls as they are active during the day time (diurnal) rather than at night.
Known as Florida’s “original homegrown pesticide,” the owls eat bugs, frogs, lizards, snakes, palmetto bugs, baby birds and mice and are a “holdover species,” from when Florida was (believe it or not!) a desert.
“They are an essential part of our environment,” Heffernan says.
As green spaces are developed, forests are cleared and wetlands are filled in, the owls turn to other open spaces, making their homes in parks, golf courses, school yards, vacant lots and airports.
Project Perch works with developers and other landowners to relocate the burrows and works to protect the owls by installing fencing around their burrows to keep power mowers away from the tunnels and by nurturing the birds by constructing artificial perches to give them a lift.
Perches help the owl see ground predators by increasing their field of vision and allowing them to spot nearby prey.
The non-profit’s artificial burrow design attracts the owls to high-dry ground instead of being susceptible to the burrows’ possible flooding and collapse.
Locally, both the Coral Springs Sportsplex and the Parkland Golf & Country Club, an Audubon certified gold community, have successful initiatives, led by Cooper City volunteer Paul Kragh (“Owl Man Paul”), a retired operations manager for McDonalds and the director of burrowing owl conservation for Project Perch.
Kragh worked with Joe Postel, director of agronomy for the Parkland Golf & Country Club, who reached out to the non-profit in 2023 when the golf course was undergoing an $8M renovation.
“A week before construction began, a burrowing owl showed up on the 18th hole,” remembers Postel.
Although the diminutive bird threw a potential monkey wrench into the club’s renovation timeline, Postel says members were captivated by the bird, they named Bunker.
“They took a liking to the little guy,” he says, noting that a photograph of Bunker, taken by a member, hangs in the British consulate in Miami.
They set up a live stream camera in the burrow so members could observe Bunker, featured him in the community’s “Critters of Parkland Golf & Country Club” newsletter and created an artificial burrow to relocate him from the 18th hole.
“They’re an interesting species,” says Postel. “This is a perfect example of how natural habitats are so important to our threatened wildlife and how we must act to protect them.”
“Bunker brought us so much joy and wonder,” he says, noting how otherwise busy members took time to rally around him and go out of their way to ensure his survival.
And, although Bunker left the golf course presumably to find a mate, Postel hopes another will take advantage of the artificial burrow they created.
Additionally, Kragh has implemented successful mitigation projects in the Florida Keyes at Radio Marti in Marathon, a government-owned island and radio towers known for broadcasting news and information to residents of Cuba during the Cold War.
Now, situated on acres of open field, Kragh and a crew of volunteers installed six pairs of artificial burrows.
Other mitigation projects include the Isle Casino in Pompano Beach and at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, where due to runway construction, the owl colony diminished significantly.
If, however, you are fortunate to spot a burrowing owl, it’s best to leave them alone, advises Kragh.
“People love to look at these cute birds,” he says, “but it’s best to leave them be.”
“Observe them from a distance,” he says. “Get a pair of binoculars or use a long camera lens when you go ‘owling’.”
Having survived since the late 1880s in South and Central Florida, this species needs some help from its human counterparts to better adapt and survive into the future.
“It’s up to us to save this native species,” says Heffernan. “They don’t fly or migrate anywhere else; they’re ours to keep or lose.”
What You Can Do To Help:
- Add T-perches near a burrow being careful not to disturb/puncture the tunnel. It is best to have Project Perch or a registered agent from the SFWC help with that.
- Restrict the use of rodenticides and pesticides. Burrowing owls also
feed on mice. - Consider installing an artificial burrow. Look at ProjectPerch.com to see if your home is a good location for owls and contact them if interested. You can also create a starter burrow.
- Report medically injured owls to the SFWC at (954) 524-4302.
- Keep pets away from the owls’ burrow sites and put a bell on the collar of your outdoor cat to reduce the loss of birdlife.
- Report malicious destruction or harassment of burrowing owls or their nests to (888) 404-3922.
Visit projectperch.org
southfloridawildlifecenter.org
