Burrowing Owl
Athene cunicularia
Photo: Rose Bloise
Introduction
Status
Ecological Requirements
RCIS Regions: All terrestrial regions RCIS Natural Communities: Agriculture, Annual Grassland, Coastal Scrub, Valley Oak Woodland (CDFW 2020)
Wintering, foraging, and breeding habitat: Open, dry areas with suitable mammal burrows or cavities surrounded by sparse vegetation for nesting. Will also nest in culverts, pipes, and artificial burrow. Require nests to be surrounded by sparse, low-growing vegetation (CDFW 2020; USFWS 2003b)
Preys on insects and small mammals (USFWS 2003b)
Full species account available: Status Assessment and Conservation Plan for the Western Burrowing Owl in the United States (USFWS 2003b)
RCIS Conservation target: Moderate (large area of suitable habitat being converted to agriculture)
Associated Non-Focal Species
Range and Modeled Habitat
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
Most of the burrowing owl (BUOW) summer and winter ranges in the RCIS are likely to remain stable under different warming scenarios (Wilsey et al. 2019). Gardali et al. (2012) conducted a species-specific climate change vulnerability assessment for burrowing owl (BUOW) on exposure and sensitivity factors which include:
Exposure Factors:
- Habitat suitability-Low
- Food availability-Low
- Extreme weather-Low
Sensitivity Factors:
- Habitat specialization-High
- Migratory status-Moderate
- Dispersal ability-Low
- Physiological tolerances-Low
Though burrowing owls only use specific habitat types, they do have a high dispersal ability (Gardali et al. 2012). Based on this ability to disperse to newly suitable habitats and an ability to successfully use some urbanized habitats, burrowing owls are not included on the Climate Change Vulnerability Priority list (top 25 percent of highest assessed scores) (Gardali et al. 2012). However, climate threats include increased frequency and intensity of wildfires, increases in spring heat waves, and drought (Wilsey et al. 2019).
Conservation Strategies
Burrowing Owl Goals, Objectives, and Actions
There are 25 proposed actions. For complete goals, objectives and actions explanations see the complete table of conservation strategies in the RCIS PDF.
Species Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal BUOW 1
Promote persistence of burrowing owl populations in the RCIS area through protection, restoration, and enhancement of habitatObjective BUOW 1.2
Enhance occupied and suitable burrowing owl breeding, wintering, and foraging habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by acres of habitat and associated/equivalent acres enhanced and/or occupied by burrowing owls and or evidence of presence (occupied burrows).Action BUOW 1.2.1
Manage suitable vegetation structure (e.g., mowing, revegetation with low-growing and less dense native plants, controlled grazing) to encourage burrowing owl wintering and breeding occupancy (Shuford and Gardali 2008; USFWS 2003b).
Action BUOW 1.2.2
Reduce/eliminate small mammal control efforts. Implement programs to increase small mammal populations in areas where they have been eradicated.
Action BUOW 1.2.3
Create conservation agreements with row-crop agriculturalists and ranchers to encourage management of water conveyance structures, roadsides, and field margins to benefit burrowing owl (USFWS 2003b).
Action BUOW 1.2.4
Eliminate or reduce to use of insecticides. If insecticide use is necessary, insecticides with the lowest toxicity to nontarget organisms should be used. Pesticides should not be sprayed within 400-600 meters of burrowing owl nest burrows during the breeding season (USFWS 2003b).
Objective BUOW 1.3
Restore occupied, and suitable burrowing owl breeding, wintering, and foraging habitat and create new habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by acres of habitat and adjacent/equivalent acres restored or created and/or by evidence of presence (occupied burrows).Action BUOW 1.3.1
Where potential nesting burrows are lacking, install artificial burrows or encourage the presence of California ground squirrels (USFWS 2003b).
Regional Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal RC 1
Sustain resilient, connected natural communities for the full range of native species, habitats, and ecological functions in the RCIS area through the protection of large blocks of continuous habitat supporting sensitive species.Objective RC 1.1
Protect and preserve existing intact non-marine habitats and resources and allow for expansion of habitat by protecting suitable or occupied habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the number of acres of habitat and adjacent/associated acres protected.Action RC 1.1.1
Acquire parcels with suitable habitat through fee title purchase or conservation easement.
Action RC 1.1.2
Conduct surveys using eDNA and/or traditional survey methods in suitable or potentially suitable habitat to locate undocumented occurrences of focal species and other conservation elements and opportunities for habitat protection, enhancement, restoration, and creation (USFWS 2008).
Action RC 1.1.3
Create and sustain long-term funding for protected areas maintenance.
Action RC 1.1.4
Establish an incentive program for private landowners to protect occurrences and manage habitat.
Action RC 1.1.5
Protect populations from impacts from construction, vegetation management, and/or activities, including by surveying areas such as roads/trails and implementing species protection measures.
Objective RC 1.2
Enhance occupied and suitable habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by number of acres of habitat enhanced and/or occupied.Action RC 1.2.1
Manage current and future recreation access including off-road vehicles, biking, equestrian, foot traffic, and unleashed pets to reduce impacts and disturbance to sensitive species and habitats. Ensure recreation is compatible with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences. Enforcement and fencing may be used to prevent illegal off-road vehicle use (USFWS 2010).
Action RC 1.2.10
Work with private landowners and stakeholders to research species biology, threats, populations, densities, and/or ranges.
Action RC 1.2.11
Create/enhance connections between ecologically required habitat types, such as between aquatic breeding and upland dispersal habitats.
Action RC 1.2.2
Control non-native invasive species from occupied and/or suitable habitat, and areas designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as critical habitat throughout the RCIS area.
Action RC 1.2.3
Reduce/eliminate pesticide, rodenticide (especially first- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides), and herbicide use, including for roadside vegetation removal projects as part of integrated pest management efforts in identified suitable habitat, and sensitive natural communities. Promote alternative pest reduction methods, such as promoting natural predator populations (Ventura County Public Works Agency 2017).
Action RC 1.2.4
Minimize impacts from native and non-native predator populations that have increased due to anthropogenic factors, including through educational outreach and trainings on how to safely coexist with native predators and predator removal programs where appropriate.
Action RC 1.2.5
Reduce anthropogenic impacts on habitat, including infrastructure construction and maintenance, inappropriate grazing, uncontrolled grazing, or overgrazing, off-road vehicles, foot traffic, fire suppression, recreational development and activities, non-native plants, and sand mining
Action RC 1.2.6
Manage infrastructure construction and maintenance projects, including transportation, solar energy facilities and projects on military properties, to be compatible for sensitive species.
Action RC 1.2.7
Manage grazing, including the installation of wildlife-friendly fencing, to ensure it is compatible with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences. Grazing in sensitive natural communities, public lands should be reduced.
Action RC 1.2.8
Reduce trash dumping in areas with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences.
Action RC 1.2.9
Enhance and restore native vegetation in occupied habitat and suitable but unoccupied habitat.
Goal RC 2
Promote persistence of species and important natural communities through the establishment and improvement of habitat connectivity in the RCIS area.Objective RC 2.1
Establish and improve habitat connectivity between large blocks of suitable habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the number of improved connectivity corridors used by sensitive species.Action RC 2.1.1
Install, repair, and improve infrastructure, such as adding large culverts, under crossings, overcrossings, bridges, directional fencing, scuppers, barrier breaks, roadside animal detection systems, sound barriers, limiting lighting at constructed or natural linkages and remove existing barriers to promote wildlife movement and reduce road mortality (Yap and Rose 2019). Focus on areas with high numbers of vehicle-related mortality, areas with high Area of Conservation Emphasis Terrestrial Connectivity rankings and include areas to create corridor redundancy.
Action RC 2.1.2
Enhance habitat on either side of crossing structures, including protecting adjacent areas, restricting human activity nearby, etc.
Action RC 2.1.3
Create and sustain long-term funding for long-term management of crossings, including acquisition and maintenance of adjacent habitat where suitable.
Action RC 2.1.4
Work with transportation districts or others to collect and analyze roadkill data to identify hotspots where mortality occurs to inform the design of wildlife crossing infrastructure improvements (Yap and Rose 2019).