Tommie Barfield Burrowing Owl Club – Going OWL Out!

In October 2021, Stephanie Parker, a teacher at Tommie Barfield Elementary School (TBE), approached Owl Watch Marco and asked if they would be interested in being part of the TBE Burrowing Owl Club she just started. Stephanie is also an Owl Watch Marco Volunteer. According to Brittany Piersma, lead biologist of the Audubon of the Western Everglades Owl Watch Program, she was super excited to help inspire and educate around 15 members of the newly formed TBE Burrowing Owl Club. 

According to Piersma, the students have a great opportunity to learn with Burrowing Owls nesting directly on the school property! One Friday each month, she works with Mrs. Parker to bring activities involving burrowing owl education.

The students learned about owl pellets and had an opportunity to dissect pellets of their own. They also discovered items the owls had eaten. At first the students were a little hesitant, but they soon became fascinated and it was hard to get them to stop when the club hour ended. According to Piersma, their favorite comment was: “It’s not every day that you get to dissect owl vomit.”

What do burrowing owls eat and what exactly is in that “owl vomit” the students just dissected? According to Piersma, burrowing owls eat insects, small mammals, lizards, snakes, even other birds, depending on the season and food availability. Insects and lizards are mostly caught during the day and small mammals are caught at night.

The students also played a survival game; chose names for banded owls; visited and scoped burrows; decorated perches; and increased their knowledge of this threatened species. The students are from the third, fourth and fifth grade, and according to Piersma, “are so excited every time we enter the classroom. They are very motivated to help save this species and the habitat these owls so desperately need in our area.”

Although nesting season officially starts February 15, the burrowing owls on Marco appear to be starting nesting even earlier this season with several sites already having chicks. Some Owl Watch volunteers are already sighting chicks from many of the sites they monitor.

According to Owl Watch Marco, it is important to respect these owls and their burrows year-round by providing them space and keeping an eye out for any new burrows. If you find an injured or sick owl or even a dead owl, please take a photo, note its location and email owlwatchmarco@gmail.com. According to Owl Watch Marco, this address is checked nonstop.

For injured owls, noting the address is very important so if the owl is rehabbed and later released, it can be returned back to its burrow site.