Description
The burrowing owl is listed as an 'endangered' species in Canada by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. The species is now considered extirpated from both Manitoba and British Columbia, and populations continue to decline in Alberta and Saskatchewan. In Alberta, surveys for burrowing owls have been conducted since 1991 near Hanna, and since 1993 near Brooks. These surveys, conducted in permanent blocks, are an ongoing commitment of Alberta Environment to determine the population status of Borrowing Owls in Alberta, in part to fulfill commitments made to the National Recovery Plan for the Burrowing Owl, and to provide information to the Alberta Endangered Species Conservation Committee. Knowledge of the population trend is essential for status designation, and continued population monitoring fundamental to the conservation of burrowing owls.