Operation Burrowing Owl (OBO) was launched in 1987 to protect Burrowing Owl habitat from cultivation, monitor population changes, and increase awareness of the owl. As of 2024, 344 landholders and land managers participate in OBO, and together are conserving just over 218,000 acres (88,000 ha) of habitat in pastures and other lands while using their land as they always have.
Landholders voluntarily agree to conserve habitat for the endangered Burrowing Owl and other prairie wildlife and annually report the number of owls on their land.
If you are one of the few landholders with Burrowing Owls nesting on your land, or if you have prairie habitat that formerly supported owls, you have an important role in their survival. Every nest site is important to their recovery. Most OBO participants no longer have nesting owls, but their role in conserving habitat is essential if we are to see a population increase of these prairie ambassadors.
In 2023, Operation Burrowing Owl (OBO) participants reported 31 pairs of owls (corrected for non-reporting members, 28 actual pairs reported). This is the same as the 31 pairs (corrected) reported by participants in 2022 (27 actual pairs reported).
In 2024, Operation Burrowing Owl (OBO) participants reported 60 pairs of owls (corrected for non-reporting members, 52 actual pairs reported). This is a 94% increase from the 31 pairs (corrected) reported by participants in 2023 (28 actual pairs reported).
The Burrowing Owl, or ground owl, was once found across the open mixed grasslands and aspen parkland. It ranged from Winnipeg in the east, to Calgary in the west and Prince Albert in the north. It has now disappeared from Manitoba and parts of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Burrowing Owls are now primarily found in the mixed grassland regions of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The Burrowing Owl was once a common summer resident of the dry grasslands of western Canada. Since 1987, the Canadian Burrowing Owl population has declined by about 96%. The Canadian population was estimated to be approximately 800-1600 Burrowing Owls in 2006 to about 270 breeding owls in 2017. The Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl population, which makes up a majority of the national population, decreased by about 90% in the 1990s, and by another 76% between 2005 and 2015.
The owl's decline has been attributed to changes in the prairie landscape. Over 85% of our native grassland has been cultivated and 40% of our wetlands have been lost. Grassland that remains is often heavily fragmented. Habitat change has resulted in a lower survival rate for Burrowing Owl eggs and young.
OBO appreciates and recognizes the efforts of the many stewards who conserve the remaining habitat for Burrowing Owls.
