
This year eighty-nine properties have burrows on site—the lowest number since monitoring began. Submitted photos
But this season, this series of nesting behavior was not apparent. At first, pairs were observed in average numbers in early December, encouraging hopeful predictions from owl-watchers for a productive nesting season. Then, as the freezing weather came in waves throughout December and January, typical nesting behavior was obviously interrupted and not observed. Many pairs “disappeared” ? most likely hunkered down in their burrow to abate the below-normal temperatures. By the first week of February, no “decoration” was noted at the burrow sites with paired owls and the females were not on eggs. Protection behavior was strong. Finally, by mid April, the nesting behavior was appearing and by May, chicks began to emerge and the count began.
This year there are eighty-nine (89) properties that have burrows onsite; the lowest number since monitoring began in 1999. The burrow(s) are marked with flagging, signs and a perch to protect them from the mowing equipment and other heavy equipment and curious onlookers. The burrows can be inches to about a foot below the soil surface and meander underground an average four to five feet in length to a dead end nesting chamber. Of the 89 sites, forty-three (43) of the burrow sites have owls inhabiting the burrows. Of the 43 sites, there are twenty-seven (27)

Two chicks with an adult.
This season’s population count is a decrease of approximately 11% from last season in both nesting adult pairs and number of chicks produced which does not bode well for sustainability. The other negative for population increase was that the number of single, or non-paired, adult owls increased by two. The stressors on the population include primarily habitat loss due to construction. Construction impacts are two-fold: the actual construction activity of noise, equipment and activity in close proximity and then the loss of habitat in the addition of development landscape that typically includes the use of pesticide which impacts food sources. Other stressors include past drought cycles that decrease food sources, increase hawk predation, and this past season the obvious low temperature periods.
Though the island will continue to develop and weather cannot be controlled, there are easy ways to help protect and sustain our dwindling Burrowing Owl population. Plant landscapes that are native species or “Florida Friendly” that require less or no pesticide use and attract native insects, amphibians and reptiles as food sources; educate new comers of the Burrowing Owl’s protective status and importance to the ecosystem and community enjoyment; create a “starter burrow” in your yard to attract an owl from properties that have future development impacts; or become a volunteer to monitor and/or maintain the burrow sites on the island.
If interested in encouraging a Burrowing Owl in your yard, are looking for volunteer opportunities or care to observe the owl population on the island using location maps provided at the City of Marco Island, 50 Bald Eagle Drive, please contact Nancy Richie at 239-389-5003, nrichie@cityofmarcoisland.com.
Nancy Richie is the Environmental Specialist for the City of Marco Island.
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