Manitoba Burrowing Owl Recovery Program working in cooperation with Turtle Mountain and West Souris River Conservation Districts.
The Manitoba Burrowing Owl Recovery Program is working to help recover the Endangered Burrowing Owl population in Manitoba. Every spring and summer, we work in cooperation with landowners to enhance lands for Burrowing Owls and reintroduce breeding pairs in select pastures located in Southwestern Manitoba.
Burrowing Owls are a migratory species. They breed in Canada April through September and winter in the U.S. and Mexico October through March. Our small staff of three, survey hundreds of acres of land each season with the hope of spotting wild or captive-released owls. This year we are asking for help to find our owls. Beginning in late April, Burrowing Owls start to arrive on the breeding grounds in Canada.
The most suitable habitat for Burrowing Owls includes open, grasslands (pasturelands), short-cut hayland with no or minimal trees and shrubs and ground squirrel populations or burrows. With this said, along migration back to best nesting spots, they may be found in other areas like crop fields and ditches. They do require a burrow to nest and roost and also enjoy perching along fence lines. Please keep your eyes peeled and listen for the Burrowing Owls “coo-coo” call.
You can report Burrowing Owl sightings by contacting our program partners: Turtle Mountain Conservation District (204) 747-2530 and West Souris River Conservation (204) 877-3020 or by calling the MBORP Hoot Line (204)-807-HOOT (4668).
