Threatened Species: Burrowing Owls

Threatened Species: Burrowing Owls

As of 2005, the issue of Athene Cunicularia, more commonly known as the Burrowing Owl, has been creating quite a controversy locally in the Coachella Valley. The population of Burrowing Owls are rapidly decreasing in number and becoming part of the threatened species category. Due to multiple threats such as urban hazards, habitat destruction, degradation (the process of changing into a worse condition), and predation (the act of feeding by a predator) Burrowing Owls are having a desperate fight for survival. The reasoning for why the Coachella Valley community is behind this destruction is simply due to a contingent acronym called HIPPO, in other words, a brief summary of the main human threats to biodiversity. If something isn't done soon, Burrowing Owls will become endangered and possibly even extinct from our world.

Burrowing Owls are quite frankly named for the nests they tend to build in the ground although these creatures have the tendency to establish nesting grounds where there are already provided such as those of rabbit, skunk or tortoise. Known as the smallest owl in North America, the Burrowing Owl is 10 inches in height and only 6 ounces in weight. Unlike most owls where the female is larger than the male, the genders of the owls are the same in size. They have long legs, short tails, brown spotted feathers on their backs, distinctive white "eyebrows" and bright yellow eyes. Burrowing Owl's diet consist of small mammals such as moles and mice during late spring and early summer months while later switching to grasshoppers, beetle, small birds, amphibians and reptiles. Unnatural for most owls who are active only during night, these owls are active during the day especially in the spring when they are collecting food. When they aren't hunting, Burrowing Owls can be found perching near their burrow, fence posts and trees. When feeling a sense of alarm, these creatures make a trembling chatter while bobbing their head to show a sign of distress and fear. Mating season usually occurs in the early spring following a 28 day gestation. The average clutch size of a female Burrowing Owl is about 3-12 eggs. After a given two week period, the young owls will begin appearing at the entrance of burrow and eventually leave the nest after 45 days to hunt on their own for insects. The chicks are usually able to fly well at 6 weeks old. During nesting season,