^{Baby burrowing owls huddle in eastern Washington. Photo by WDFW.}

Tri-Cities is the last stronghold for Burrowing Owls in Washington, but it’s not all that strong. Small, brown, and speckled, with bright, charismatic yellow eyes and long legs, burrowing owls are a historic, native species in the Tri-Cities. Folks who grew up here likely recall seeing them perched on old fenceposts in places where homes or parking lots now sit. The owls have lost a lot of ground to rapid development; people are surprised to learn that they are still here, less than a mile from city limits.

I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t like burrowing owls — from farmers, to contractors, to bird watchers. Everyone enjoys seeing these owls out in the daytime, guarding their nest hole, and removing problem mice and insects from surrounding fields. Don’t we have a responsibility to protect this declining native species as important members of our ecosystem? As the City of Pasco made plans to expand its water processing facility, converting 90 acres of prime shrubsteppe and grassland habitat, collaborative efforts were made to install several artificial burrows and protect two pairs of burrowing owls onsite. Working outside of the owls’ breeding season, members of the team captured, tagged, and released the owls to artificial burrows constructed on another part of the property. The project was so successful that two additional owl pairs used the newly constructed burrows the following season, resulting in a net increase in owl population on the site.

Artificial burrows can help the owl population survive and even grow, as long as they are also in areas where the owls can hunt and forage food, and stay protected from predators and harmful weather conditions. This only addresses one of the needs of burrowing owls; we still have to protect the habitat so that the species can have all of its needs met in terms of survival. How suitable these sites remain for burrowing owls will be determined in the future.

Taking pride in our community, where burrowing owls still marginally live, means we all bear some ownership and responsibility for their welfare. The good news is that solutions for this species are simple, affordable, and effective. We just need to pay attention to our human impact, and learn from consequences, both intended and unintended. A little conscious effort can result in good for both people and owls! 

That’s what I find so motivating about working with this species! We can do good things and quickly see the results.

Want to know more? Visit:
Burrowing owl | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife