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Resident Raptor - Burrowing Owl
Linnaeus & Chia
Linnaeus DNA-sexed as female, was found in Burns, Oregon in July 2005. Still an immature bird, she was hit by a car, resulting in multiple fractures of both the radius and ulna of the left wing. A veterinarian pinned both bones so that they would at least heal and the wing could be saved, but there was little hope of return to function. She was placed with us in September of 2005.
Chia (Presumed female by the somewhat antagonistic
reception she received from Linnaeus when first introduced into her territory)
was transferred from Ojai Raptor Center in Southern California in December
2007. She was transferred to Ojai in February 2006 from another center with badly broken feathers and missing the tip of her right wing. It took a full molt to determine that she had insufficient flight for release. Although we do not have the history of her original injury, she was probably either hit by a car or collided with a fence. The two females are getting along fine now that they were moved to 'neutral' territory.
Athene Died in April 2006, following surgery to remove a painfully swollen eye. He had started to develop a cataract in that eye in April 2005, but increased pressure and probably pain from glaucoma was causing him to tilt his head; to alleviate his discomfort, the eye had to be removed. Unfortunately, he did not survive the surgery. He was 7 years old.
Speo The other male transferred to CRC with Athene in 2000, was an adult when found in 1999. He was at least 9 years of age when we euthanized him in October 2007 due to cancer.
Athene and Speo were given to CRC in late August 2000 by a biologist researching burrowing owls in California. Burrowing owls have little or no sexual dimorphism, even by size, so it is impossible to know their genders, except by a DNA blood test - which has shown both these birds were male.
Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
A small, sandy-brown ground owl with long legs and a short tail. Head is
speckled, with white eyebrows; dark collar on white throat; back is spotted
and underside is barred. Flight is labored and undulating, usually close to
the ground; frequently hovers. Often seen in the daytime, standing on open
ground or near mounded burrow entrance. Frequently bobs up and down. No
major coloration difference between the sexes, as with most raptors, but
unlike other birds of prey, there is not much size difference between males
and females.
Notes
Size - Length: 9-11" • Wing Span: 20-24" • Weight: 4.2-6.5 oz.
Status - Listed as a "species of special
concern" in several states, including Oregon. Considered extirpated (wiped
out) in the Willamette Valley.
Habitat - These ground dwelling owls
keep to open country -- grassland and desert. Most often associated with
prairie dog or ground squirrel colonies, taking over abandoned burrows of
these rodents or of badger, skunk, or fox, extending them by digging with
their beak and kicking out loose soil with their feet.
Diet - Hunt mostly in the early evening
and into the night, but also by day. Their varied diet consists primarily of
insects and small mammals, but they also go after small birds, reptiles, and
amphibians. Often hover hunt in twilight hours.
Call - Have a high, dove-like call of
coo-coo-hoo or coo-hoo; a tremulous chattering when alarmed; young owls are
known for their 'rattlesnake rasp' warning call, which seems to mimic the
sound of a rattlesnake.
Nesting - During breeding season, they
live in loose colonies surrounded by bare ground or short grass. When not
disturbed, those in nonmigrating populations will use the same burrow year
after year.
Most Common Problems - As with all owls,
the most common cause of injury is collision with vehicles. Also tangling in
fences. Rodent poisoning campaigns and habitat destruction is common in
ranchlands, where prairie dogs and ground squirrels are considered pests
because their networks of burrows may pose a risk of leg injury to
livestock.
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