Beneficial Management Practices for Saskatchewan

Species at Risk:

Burrowing Owl Endangered

• Mottled pattern of dark and light brown with white spots

• Underparts pale brown to white

• Long, thin, bare legs

• Large yellow eyes

• “Coo-cooo” callBrian K Jeffrey

• Prefer open grasslands with a mosaic of short & long vegetation void of trees & dense shrubs

• Require an abundance of burrows and wetland(s) or water

• Eat grasshoppers, insects, mice, voles, young gophers, toads, snakes, salamanders and small birds

• Located in the southern Saskatchewan

• Status: Endangered

• Declined due habitat loss and fragmentation, decreased food availability, fewer burrow providers, collision with vehicles, pesticides and mortality during migration

• ~250-300 of pairs in Saskatchewan

Beneficial Management Practices

Grazing

• Reduce heavy livestock use at nest sites during May through June

• Graze heavily (10 cm in height) to provide nesting sites or within 100m of known site

• Graze lightly (30-100 cm in height) in adjacent areas but no more than 1 m

Grazing (cont’d)

• Avoid placing salt blocks near nest sites

• Avoid water development (i.e. dugouts and dams) that disrupt the flow of water to low-lying wetlands or reduce the functionality of the wetland

Habitat Size and Woody Vegetation

• Maintain grassland pastures ~ 160 acres in size (65 ha)

• Do not plant trees or shrubs on native or tame grasslands

• Reduce or remove woody vegetation in native or tame grasslands

Forage Harvesting

• Delay harvesting of tame hay until after July 1st

• Leave narrow strips of unmowed vegetation

• Harvest only part of the hayfield

Cultivation/Tillage

• Plow fields early (mid-April) to remove potential nest burrows in crop field

• Use direct seeding or zero-till wherever possible to avoid tillage during nesting

• Retain fragments or blocks of native prairie wherever possible

Converting Cropland to Perennial Cover

• Convert cultivated land to perennial cover of recommended herbaceous species

• Seed short or mid-height and less invasive grasses in forage mixes such as blue gramma grass or needle & thread

Management of Burrowing Mammals

• Maintain healthy populations of badgers or other burrowing mammals

• Maintain healthy populations of ground squirrels (or gophers)

• Avoid use of rodenticide where owls are nesting or foraging areas

Management of Burrowing Mammals (cont’d)

• Control ground squirrel populations between October and March

• Apply control agents directly in ground squirrel burrows or directly to ground squirrels (i.e. shooting)

Insecticides

• Avoid spraying insecticides that reduce Burrowing Owl prey populations on tame or native pasture

• If insect control is necessary, choose insecticides with the lowest toxicity

• Avoid spraying insecticides within 400-600m of burrows containing owls during breeding season

Roads

• Restrict traffic on roads through agricultural land from dusk to dawn

• Restrict traffic speeds on roads through agricultural land

• Avoid grading roads from May through June if possible