PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Small & chunky, longlong----legged,legged, spotted brown with big yellow eyes LAST KNOWN WHEREABOUTS Grasslands and sagebrush WANTED ACCOMPLICES

T. Sohl

Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory (RMBO) is a nonnon---- profit organization committed to conserving Great Plains, Rocky Mountain, and Intermountain West birds and their habitats. Prairie Partners is a program developed by

R.A. Graves RMBO to address prairie conservation issues through voluntary, working partnerships between landowners, Cattle Prairie Dogs managers and resource professionals throughout the Great Plains. The ultimate goal of Prairie Partners is to build a coalition of landowners and land managers who are TTHERE’SHERE’S TROUBLE! actively involved in the conservation of lands important to TThehe Burrowing Owl is listed as threatened in prairie birds. To accomplish this goal, Prairie Partners Colorado. Populations of Burrowing Owls works to initiate conservation strategies that benefit landowners as well as wildlife. have been declining for decades throughout their range due to: ♦ ConversionConversion of native prairie, sagebrush, and rangeland to other uses, such as urban Rick Scott development. ♦ LLossoss of nesting habitat through control of R.E.VanNimwegen burrowing mammals. ForFor more information about Burrowing Owls, habitat ♦ PPoisoningoisoning of owls and their nest sites. enhancement and conservation programs, or to schedule WWWeWeeesssstttteeeerrrrnnnn a survey visit to your property, please contact RMBO and ask for Prairie Partners. (970) 482482----1707.1707.1707.1707. Burrowing Owl

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SCRSD for cattle grazing. BEHAVIOR ♦ ReturnReturn marginal cropland to pasture. The western Burrowing Owl ranges ♦ Unique among owls, Burrowing Owls are TTrrrryyyy tttotooo aaavavvvooooiiiidddd wwwowooorrrrkkkkiiiinnnngggg ooororrr uuususssiiiinnnngggg pppepeeessssttttiiiicccciiiiddddeeeessss throughout the shortshort–––– and mixed mixed----grassgrass active both day and night, and most lively at aaararrroooouuuunnnndddd nnneneeessssttttssss sssisiiitttteeeessss wwwhwhhhiiiilllleeee BBBuBuuurrrrrroooowwwwiiiinnnngggg OOOwOwwwllllssss prairie and sagebrush shrublands of the dawn and dusk. are nesting, approximately midmid----AAAApppprrrriiiillll tttotooo mmmimiiidddd---- American West. Burrowing Owls require August.August.August. closely cropped vegetation, for which they ♦ CChhhhoooooosssseeee llleleeessssss hhhahaaarrrrmmmmffffuuuullll ccchchhheeeemmmmiiiiccccaaaallllssss wwwhwhhheeeennnn aaapapppppllllyyyy---- rely on cattle along with a number of other ing around nest sites. mammal species. BUBBBURUURRRORROWOOWIWWINIINGNNGGG MMAMM AMAAMMMAMMALAALLL MANAGEMENT J. Green ♦ TryTry to be more tolerant of prairie dogs, Burrowing Owls are monogamous, and begin badgers, and groundground----squirrels.squirrels. Owls re- mating in early April. In their burrow nests, quire onquire on-on---goinggoing burrow maintenance by they will raise 3 to 11 nestlings . When the mmmamaaammmmmmaaaallllssss;;;; iiififff ttththhheeee mmmamaaammmmmmaaaallllssss aaararrreeee eeexexxxttttiiiirrrrppppaaaatttteeeedddd ,,, young owls are approximately 2 months old, BBBuBuuurrrrrroooowwwwiiiinnnngggg OOOwOwwwllllssss wwwiwiiillllll llleleeeaaaavvvveeee aaafaffftttteeeerrrr aaa fffefeeewwww yyyeyeeeaaaarrrrssss.... they begin to fend for themselves. ♦ PPracticeractice controlcontrolcontrol instead of eradicationeradicationeradication. CCCoCooonnnnttttrrrroooollll ooououuuttttssssiiiiddddeeee ttththhheeee OOOwOwwwllll nnneneeessssttttiiiinnnngggg ssseseeeaaaassssoooonnnn.... Burrowing Owls nest in holes constructed by ♦ EEducateducate varmint-varmint---huntershunters about Owls. prairie dogs, badgers, squirrels, or other ♦ BBecomeecome involved in a landowner cost-cost---sssshhhhaaaarrrreeee mammals. Native Americans considered the program that will help D. Back- Owls magical, as they were thought to den W. Radke you enhance habitat and with rattlesnakes without being harmed. BURROWINGBURROWING OWLS ARE production, benefiting Colorado is at the core of the Burrowing BENEFICIAL TO LANDOWNERS! your land, livestock, and and Owl’s range, and with thousands of acres of ♦ TheirTheir primary prey is insects wildlife. rangeland, landowners provide a home for ♦ TTheyhey also prey on rodents and snakes ♦ many Owls. TheyThey are highly sought after by wildlife-wildlife--- J. Nordeen watchers, who may pay to see them.