Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Breeding Range. (Fig. 83). Fairly common on the Northwestern Drift Plain; uncommon (fairly common locally) on the Missouri Coteau (most numerous on the glacial outwash plain of Kidder County), and in the Southwestern Slope Region (most numerous on the Coteau Slope within Burleigh, Emmons, Logan, and McIntosh Counties, on the Missouri Slope within southeastern Morton County, eastern Sioux County, eastern Bowman County, and southeastern Slope County, and on the Little Missouri Slope within western Bowman County); uncommon on the Southern Drift Plain; rare in the Agassiz Lake Plain Region and on the Northeastern Drift Plain.
Apparently, this species was more generally distributed and more numerous in former years. In 1874, it was recorded as abundant in prairie dog towns along the expedition route from Fort Lincoln southwest toward the Black Hills of South Dakota (Grinnell 1875). During the period 1890-1895, it was a common summer resident in Towner County within 20 miles of Cando (Judd 1917). It was considered to be very common in the Dickinson, Killdeer, and New England districts (Stark, Dunn, and Hettinger Counties) in 1918 (Gabrielson and Jewett 1924); and hundreds were observed in the Little Missouri badlands in northern Dunn County in 1918 (Gabrielson 1928). Forrest B. Lee reports that Burrowing Owls were exceedingly common during 1927-1932 in Kidder County in the area one to three miles southwest of Pettibone; he recalls observing as many as 50 at one time, perched singly on fence posts or in groups on burrow mounds.
Breeding Habitat. Burrowing Owls are especially characteristic of heavily grazed tracts of mixed-grass prairie. These conditions result from heavy grazing by livestock throughout the range of the species; and locally, the closely cropped grasslands within prairie dog towns are also commonly utilized. There is considerable evidence that would indicate that Burrowing Owls tend to concentrate in grasslands that contain colonies of large rodents, particularly colonies of the Blacktail Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) on the Missouri Slope and Little Missouri Slope, and colonies of the Richardson Ground Squirrel (Citellus richardsoni) elsewhere. The affinity to prairie dog towns was noted in 1873 (Allen 1874), 1874 (Grinnell 1875), 1881 (Hoffman 1883), 1893 (A. K. Fisher), during 1912-1926 (Larson 1928), in 1915 (R. Kellogg), and in 1918 (Gabrielson and Jewett 1924).
Nesting. Breeding season: Mid-May to early September; peak, late May to early August. Extreme dates of active nests (32 nests): May 15 [1967] in Emmons County (RES) to August 23 [1963] in Burleigh County (V. Erickson). Extreme dates of dependent young (19 records): June 19 [1963] in Stutsman County (RES) to September 7 [1922] in Kidder County (A. Wetmore).
In addition to their habit of nesting commonly in the abandoned dens of prairie dogs and ground squirrels, Burrowing Owls sometimes utilize the abandoned dens of other mammals including those of the Badger (Taxidea taxes). The appearance of a few nesting sites indicated that Burrowing Owls occasionally dug their own nest burrows.
Indicated clutch size (18 nests): 3 to 10 eggs; mean, 5.2 eggs.
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| Figure 83. Breeding Range of Burrowing Owl. |
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/bbofnd/species/3780.htm
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Menlo Park, CA [caww54]
