'Working with burrowing owls is really important work': helping a struggling burrowing owl family
Arctic vets to the rescue when they find a struggling burrowing owl family on the Prairie.
Burrowing owls are kind of misnamed: they don't actually do any burrowing. Rather, they make their nests in burrows created by other animals, like badgers. But with more and more of their grasslands habitat disappearing due to human activity, there are fewer and fewer burrows available for them to move into. The species has all but disappeared in Canada.
That's why some members of the Assiniboine Park Conservancy (APC) veterinary staff are working with a program that creates artificial nest burrows for owls. An artificial burrow consists of a four-foot-deep hole, with a 15 gallon bucket inside, covered by a weeping tile. When the team goes to check on two artificial burrows in southwestern Manitoba, they find one thriving and full of healthy owlets. The other, however, is in much worse shape. They find one owlet dead, and two more severely malnourished. They also find the mother owl with her beak and nails broken, making her likely unable to hunt.
The trio are taken back to APC to recover.
"It's always a tough decision," says APC vet Dr. Charlene Berkvens. "We really want these owls to ideally be released into the wild, but when we're in a situation where we think it's unlikely they're gonna survive, we don't want to risk them suffering and dying."
After some time at the Conservancy, both mother and babies are doing well. For Mom, the damage to her beak means that APC will be her new permanent home, but the babies are getting ready to be reintroduced to the wild.
"They're doing great," says Berkvens. "They're putting weight on. This program is all about us trying to reintroduce owls to the wild. Working with burrowing owls is really important work. I feel really honoured to work with a species that is endangered, and that we have the potential to positively impact their recovery."
Also in episode 9 of Arctic Vets, a trumpeter swan gets treated for a surprisingly serious condition called bumblefoot, and mating season makes Assinboine's all-male seal population get rowdy.
Watch Arctic Vets, Fridays at 8:30 (9 NT) on CBC, or stream it on CBC Gem.