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As an animal keeper for the past 30 years at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, I’ve felt privileged to have worked with some of the world’s most fascinating and endangered species. Most of the species I work with come from Africa or Asia, but I am also acutely aware that we have species in our own back yard here in San Diego County that are also in peril.
I have recently learned that burrowing owls are becoming increasingly rare in the grasslands of our county and that our San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research is involved with a grasslands restoration project. This is good news, as I just had my first encounter with a burrowing owl in its natural habitat here at the Safari Park a few weeks ago.
As a keeper, I have made numerous trips to the Park’s manure dump over the years to empty my dump truck. With over 3,000 animal residents, you can imagine that we produce copious amounts of endangered species feces. Fortunately for us, a farmer in the San Pasqual Valley is happy to take all we can give him; he plows this rich material into his fields, where it nourishes his crops. I had heard other keepers mentioning seeing a little owl visible on the hillside next to our dump pile. I began to look for the owl every time I went to our dump pile but could not figure out which of the 30 or so squirrel burrows might be occupied by this owl.
Finally, with the help of another keeper, I was able to spot him (or her, I’m not sure of the gender!). Now that I know where to look, I see the burrowing owl on a regular basis. Often this little bird is hunkered down inside its burrow when I first drive by to dump my truck’s load. It comes out to check out the noise after I pass, so that when I return, it’s right in plain sight. I can pull up and stop right below it. You might think it would quickly back down into the hole, but it usually doesn’t. Sometimes it just stands there, and sometimes it crouches down and freezes. This is most likely a defense mechanism against predators. This eight-inch-high owl is mottled brown and tan and easily blends in with the dry vegetation surrounding its burrow. It stands out a bit more right now, because all of the rains have turned the usually brown vegetation bright green.
I’ll admit, visiting the manure dump is perhaps not the most glamorous (or appealing) part of my day, but knowing I may get another peek at this special little burrowing owl always gives me something to look forward to.
Gloria Kendall is a lead keeper at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
What a great story! I enjoyed reading about this owl and the photos were wonderful. It is a beautiful owl. Thank you for writing this blog. I agree that the sight of the threatened burrowing owl living free on the grounds of the Safari Park makes a perfect ending to a not-so-pleasant road trip. Hope one day you will find this owl surrounded by a few owlets. Please let us know if it happens.
There are many keepers who drive past the burrow on a daily basis. Most know to keep an eye out for this owl. If this is a female and owlets appear, I will surely try to post some photos.
I live in Modesto Ca. I have found a nest in an empty field near my home. After reading articles, I understand his proxemity to ground sguirrels. Mo E.
Thank you Gloria great story. Mae, I too hope that there might be some Owletts this spring. That would be a wonderful story of a Wild Owl and Owletts in the Safari Park.
Spring is just around the corner Patti…stay tuned!
We have burrowing owls here in the shrub steppe lands of eastern Washington state where the Hanford Reach National Monument is located. They can often be found in vacant lots in the towns in this area and sometimes cause construction to come to a screeching halt! The ones here are very tiny, and the babies are fuzzy and cute. It sounds like the one you see has an ideal location, i.e., a burrow where not a lot of people will tromp around and disturb its environment. They are really enchanting little creatures. Thank you for sharing!
Linda, Although I’ve only seen one owl at a time, another keeper saw two, so hopefully there was one of each gender and maybe we’ll see some owlets. Sounds like you’ve seen some up there in Washington. Good for you!
Hi Gloria, I enjoyed reading your blog about the curious and charming burrowing owl. I am quite familiar with barn owls; however, to be honest with you, I was not aware of burrowing owls until I read your post. I thought all owls lived in trees, barns, etc and were nocturnal. I hope this little guy will continue to show himself from time to time so you can give us some further news. I look forward to the day when I will be able to spot a burrowing owl.
Many thanks for your dedication and hard work in caring for the beautiful creatures at the Safari Park. The Safari Park is a very beautiful part of the San Diego Zoo. It is a fun place to visit and relax and watch the beauty of nature at its best.
P.S. Do you have a name picked out for this cute burrowing owl?
Well Rose, I don’t know the gender of this owl so as tempting as it is, I think I will resist giving it a name. If you want to try to spot a burrowing owl, a good place to start would be to visit our Condor Ridge area at the Safari Park. We have some there.
Thank you Gloria for your directions on how to find these little owls. Last Sunday we visited the SDZ Safari Park where I finally got to meet two burrowing owls up close. They are so cute! Kind of short and stubby, egg- shaped with piercing yellow eyes and white eyebrows. We watched one of them chasing after bugs along the ground while the other one was intently watching us. The burrowing owl exhibit is quite spacious and attractive. It would be so sad to lose these charming owls due to loss of habitat. I also hope you will see some owlets this spring.
That’s awesome! What a beautiful little animal… Do they dig their own burrows or use abandoned burrows made by other animals? It just seems like their little feet wouldn’t be too good for digging.
Interesting blog!
They occupy burrows dug by other animals. This particular owl occupies burrows dug by squirrels. The squirrels are very active in this area. By the way, it just switched holes and is now about 20 feet away from the previous burrow.
“…endangered species feces…” LOL!
Gloria, thanks so much for sharing a truly “behind-the-scenes” moment. How wonderful that this little guy or gal has taken up residence–the species needs all the help it can get!
We hope that the Grasslands Restoration project will add to our knowledge about this fascinating species.
I lived for several years in the 70/80′s on La Jolla Village Dr, northside. We had these small owls scattered between our condo complex and the UCSD married housing units. Sadly, their environment got plowed up for university expansion. They were very curious and amazing to watch. Thanks for the article.
This message is for Gloria Kendall,
I am from Hawai’i and I am so in love with owls. One of the many Hawaiian animals that were thought of as protectors (Aumakua), the owl (“Pueo” in hawaiian) is one of my aumakua. I have a beautiful polynesian Tattoo of an owl on my arm hidden in the mixed story of the story that my tattoo tells.
There are not many owls in the wild on the hawaiian islands anymore. Very few people see it flying in its natural habitat. Being newly weds, this is our honeymoon trip, and we are so looking forward on visiting the zoo and the Safari. Knowing that there are owls there and a great opportunity for us to see one. Hopefully we get to meet you, when we do visit. We will be at the Safari on July 7. Please email me back if you would be able to meet with us and share your owl stories. I read your clip of the burrowing owl at the manure dump, which I think is similar to our hawaiian short eared owl who also prefers to burrow underground which made me even more excited to visit your safari. I am so greatful that the safari is focused on returning rare hawaiian birds through your breeding process. Mahalo, and Aloha