Our March session is a talk about the conservation needs of Burrowing Owls on the Canadian Prairies on Sunday, March 2, 2025 at the clubhouse, starting at 1:00 p.m.
In Canada, the Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) is listed as endangered under the Species at Risk Act. The number of breeding pairs declined 90% during the 1990’s despite voluntary protection of over 37,000 hectares of the species habitat on private grasslands. Dr. Holroyd’s talk summarizes 30 years of research into the population dynamics, breeding biology, migration and dispersal of this species in Canada, Texas and Mexico and recommends supplemental feeding of nests to be incorporated in recovery action plans and further research, alongside with protection of critical habitat.
Dr. Holroyd will also be bringing Nina, the Beaverhill Bird Observatory’s Burrowing Owl (that’s Nina in the picture), giving session participants the opportunity to hold her.
