'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
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
BREAKING Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.