String Encounters Harmful for Burrowing Owls

It is officially burrowing owl nesting season on Marco, and most of them have settled into their burrows and are in high “mating rituals.” Owl Watch volunteers have been diligently visiting their assigned neighborhood burrows, checking out their owls and taking photos.

On Saturday, March 9th, owl volunteer Necia Siegert, assigned to the Caxambas neighborhood, took a photo of one of her owls sitting on the posting with a string attached to one leg. 

The Caxambas group sighed, “Not again,” as it looked like the owl was from the same burrow of an owl that lost one leg from an entanglement last nesting season. At that time, Brittany Piersma, field biologist for the Audubon of the Western Everglades, took quick action to capture the owl and applied medication to the necrotic leg. Monitors did not know its fate for a while.

On Monday, March 11th, around 8:00 AM, Piersma and an owl watch volunteer had an emergency rescue with the presumed female that lost its leg last nesting season. Brittany captured the owl with a string attached, and it turned out to be the same owl from last season, which had lost half of its leg and talons. This particular owl has a thing for strings, and luckily, Brittany was able to safely remove the clump and release her (yes, she is in breeding mode) back to the burrow.

The owl monitors have seen first-hand the devastating impact on wildlife of improperly disposed strings - it can not only injure them or permanently impair them, but it also has the potential of impacting their ability to hunt. According to Piersma, owls can weigh less as they go into the breeding season and let’s hope that the male is a good provider.

Harmless as it looks, a string is a common household item that can pose a serious threat to wildlife in your neighborhood. During burrowing owl mating season, it has been observed that owls collect all sorts of odd things and bring them back to the burrow, and a clump of string looks like a perfect nesting material. Owls can become entangled in loose string, injuring themselves, and they can choke if the string gets caught around their neck. 

So, make sure to dispose of strings properly. Cut them into many small pieces before disposing them in waste bins. Make sure no loose ends remain hanging out as these could still pose risk when ingested.

If you are a walker and see loose strings, please keep your wildlife safe by picking them up and disposing of them properly. 

If you see an owl or wildlife tangled in strings, please take a photo if you can, note its location, and email: owlwatchmarco@gmail.com.