'Pop can on stilts': Burrowing owls back to breeding grounds in Sask., conservation efforts underway
After a long winter, burrowing owls have made their way back to their breeding grounds in southern Saskatchewan.
The owls journeyed back to the prairies from Mexico and southern Texas and breeding season is already underway, according to a release from Nature Saskatchewan.
The burrowing owls have already paired up. The females are incubating the eggs inside the burrow while the males are busy hunting for food, the release said.
The burrowing owls, which have long featherless legs “that make them look like a pop can on stilts,” are adapted to the prairie landscape and coexist well with grazing animals.
The owls have become a common sight in the prairies but according to Nature Saskatchewan, they are an endangered species in Canada.
“Every sighting is incredibly important,” the release read. “If you have burrowing owls in your pasture or cultivated land, do not fear. Burrowing Owls are excellent helpers and provide many advantages including free pest control.”
Kaytlyn Burrows, habitat stewardship coordinator, said the owls eat huge numbers of insects, mice, voles, and grasshoppers.
“Over the course of a summer, one owl family can consume up to 1,800 rodents and 7,000 insects,” she said in the release.
Nature Saskatchewan’s voluntary program called “Operation Burrowing Owl” works to conserve habitats and keep an eye on population numbers.
“Without the voluntary efforts of the land stewards and the general public, recovery of this unique prairie owl would not be possible,” Burrows said in the release.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.