Marco Island is home to several unique protected wildlife species, but the most charismatic is the burrowing owl -Athene cunicularia floridana!This diminutive bird, the size of a water bottle when mature, is a year-round resident; they do NOT nest in trees but dwell in underground burrows. They do NOT hoot; they do NOT have tufts and are known to return to the same burrow each year. And once partners are chosen, they mate for life.
They have long legs, brown feathers and a piercing stare. Its eyes are the most striking feature of an owl, large and forward-looking they give the owl that “wise” persona. They can also evoke mystery and sometimes be very intimidating. Most of Marco’s burrowing owls will stare back at you intensely with their prominent white eyebrows and large yellow eyes.
With the help of one of our volunteer owl watch monitors and a local nature photographer, the eye coloration of our neighborhood burrowing owls has been captured, adding more mystery. According to bird experts, the color of an owl’s eyes tells a story about the time of day they hunt, and yellow eyed owls have the best night vision, but this isn’t always accurate with every owl species. The burrowing owls are most active at dawn and dusk and hunt both day and night.
The photos show that some of the owls in our neighborhood are black-eyed; some have speckled or mottled dark brown eyes and one pair from the same clutch was spotted with one yellow and one black eye.
Biologists are not sure what is causing these variations in eye coloration and since Marco’s owls don’t migrate, it might be caused by inbreeding. As the owls stare back at you intensely and turn their heads 270 degrees, these color variations are captivating.
The burrowing owls dine on mostly insects, roaches, mole crickets, frogs, which are plentiful during the rainy season, lizards, snakes and small rodents. It is that “small rodent” category on their diet that has been causing an alarm.
According to Brittany Piersma, biologist for Audubon of the Western Everglades (AWE), they have sent off 52 burrowing owls for rat poison testing since September 2022. Increasing urban areas on Marco Island means owls are at greater risk of hunting poisoned food sources if homeowners, restaurants, hotels, and condos continue to use bait boxes containing rodenticide. There is NO safe poison. She is urging residents to ask for alternatives from their Pest Control Companies.
Vehicle strikes are also high on the threat to burrowing owls. According to Piersma, she has recorded 11 potential car strike cases on Marco Island since the start of nesting season. Losing adults can be extremely detrimental to the survival of the chicks. As chicks start learning how to fly, they frequently end up in roadways. Please keep your eyes on the road and drive slowly, especially in early morning and late-night hours.
Here are helpful rules of engagement when you are near wildlife:
Do not feed them.
Do not harass or disturb owls or their burrows.
Do not enter, lean over, crawl under or extend your camera over the posted area.
Move slowly and quietly when approaching the burrow; stay low or sit when possible and back away if owls appear agitated.
If you find an injured owl, please take a photo; note its location and email owlwatchmarco@gmail.com.
Let’s enjoy the magnificent burrowing owls in our neighborhood and make sure they will be around for many years to come.
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