monday's mulling: burrowing owls

One morning during a morning walk around my friend’s Cape Coral neighborhood, I heard a rasping sound, almost like a rattlesnake. It stopped me right there in my tracks. I looked around, didn’t see anything, started to walk, and heard the noise again. This time I looked down and saw two little owls by a hole in the ground.

Cape Coral is home to the largest known population of the Florida burrowing owl. These pint sized birds burrow underground where they nest early February through mid-July.

The burrowing owl is the official city bird of Cape Coral and a source of pride for many residents and nature lovers. Everyone, it seems, loves burrowing owls and their big yellow eyes, bobbing heads and curious, sometimes cranky, facial expressions.

The owls moved to Cape Coral in the 1950s. They were drawn by the wide-open, flat land left by the city’s developers as they chopped down trees to make room for streets and houses. The owls love vacant lots, golf courses, fallow agricultural fields and other open, treeless spots. That helps them keep an eye out for approaching predators such as cats, hawks and eagles.

In November 2016, the owls landed on Florida's threatened species list after years of being labeled as a “species of special concern.” Fines and penalties start at $100-$500 and up to 60 days in jail and can go as high as a $5,000 fine and five years in prison, depending on the severity of the crime.

If you want owls as a neighbor, you can encourage them to move onto your property with a “starter burrow.” If I lived down there, I know I’d dig a couple starter burrows in my yard!