Remember that the Western Burrowing Owls are quite different than their Eastern Counterparts.
Speaking from secondhand knowledge, I am told that the SD Zoo breeding program of the Western Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) that runs from Feb. thru August has had several setbacks in recent years due to Hawks, Snakes, Coyotes and Human Activity once released. In one recent example that I helped out with, they released 20 individual young adults and only two survived the first 48 hours.
However, SD Zoo breeding program has been working with several associates (including the myfwc Florida Fish and Wildlife) regarding the Eastern Burrowing Owl subspecies whose breeding runs from March thru August that has reported recent successes at reintroducing the species into North Dakota down to western Florida.
The Burrowing Owl Program was featured on The Zoo: San Diego show in 2019, I just don’t remember which episode. Further, the program is often highlighted on the San Diego Zoo Youtube and Facebook pages.
Those are some very neat details! I’m glad to run into someone here that has some better info than I do!
I’m nowhere near any Burrowing Owls where I’m at, but I’ve seen a few different things I’ve shared here about some unique eye features of some of them in Florida and Aruba’s subspecies, the Shoco.
That would be so heartbreaking to lose so many in 2 days after all that work! 😦
Remember that the Western Burrowing Owls are quite different than their Eastern Counterparts.
Speaking from secondhand knowledge, I am told that the SD Zoo breeding program of the Western Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) that runs from Feb. thru August has had several setbacks in recent years due to Hawks, Snakes, Coyotes and Human Activity once released. In one recent example that I helped out with, they released 20 individual young adults and only two survived the first 48 hours.
https://www.experiencewildlife.com/saving-the-san-diego-burrowing-owl
However, SD Zoo breeding program has been working with several associates (including the myfwc Florida Fish and Wildlife) regarding the Eastern Burrowing Owl subspecies whose breeding runs from March thru August that has reported recent successes at reintroducing the species into North Dakota down to western Florida.
The Burrowing Owl Program was featured on The Zoo: San Diego show in 2019, I just don’t remember which episode. Further, the program is often highlighted on the San Diego Zoo Youtube and Facebook pages.
Those are some very neat details! I’m glad to run into someone here that has some better info than I do!
I’m nowhere near any Burrowing Owls where I’m at, but I’ve seen a few different things I’ve shared here about some unique eye features of some of them in Florida and Aruba’s subspecies, the Shoco.
That would be so heartbreaking to lose so many in 2 days after all that work! 😦
Thank you so much for sharing!