| Habitat
Enhancements
OGC works one-on-one with landowners to first gain mutual
trust and understanding, and from this common ground, gains
a membership committed to honour their voluntary stewardship
agreements.
Starting in 2005, Operation Grassland Community (OGC) began working with its members to enhance wildlife habitats through specific land management projects. Habitat Enhancement Projects (HEPs) preserve or enhance habitats for a suite of grassland species, while at the same time improve native range thus providing economical as well as ecological benefits to participating landowners. OGC is currently promoting HEPs targeted at increasing or improving nesting and hunting habitats Burrowing Owls and Ferruginous Hawks.
Burrowing Owl Habitat Enhancement Projects:
Burrowing Owls require a mosaic of grassland heights: areas of sparse, well-grazed grass for nesting (helps them see predators approaching), and longer grass for hunting (where their favourite foods, voles and mice, like to hide). Often, these areas of longer grasses are associated with wetlands or riparian areas. OGC thus advocates the use of cattle oilers and salt blocks to intensify grazing pressure near nest burrows. By fencing off a dugout or other water bodies and preventing cattle from grazing or trampling edges, grass can grow back and provide a place for prey to live, and a place for Burrowing Owls to hunt. In turn, these measures also provide benefits to landholders. Preventing livestock from entering and contaminating water has been shown to significantly improve herd health, and increased livestock production.
OGC works with, and provides financial assistance to landholders who have known Burrowing Owl nests on their property. Financial assistance towards the cost of an off-site watering system, fencing around dugouts or wetlands, cattle oilers and native seeding (up to 160 acres) is available to qualified landholders.
Other Beneficial Management Practices for Burrowing Owl:
Increase nest/roost availability through reduction of pest control (i.e., decrease lethal control of ground squirrels and badgers). Suitable nest holes appear to be limited for Burrowing Owls. Burrowing Owl nest and roost holes are created primarily by badgers excavating ground squirrel holes. New holes need to be created each year to replace old holes that have filled in naturally, or collapsed for any other reason. Higher densities of roosts increase post-fledging survival.
Mitigation of Predation Pressure (e.g., removal of predator perches and nesting structures, and preventative site-planning that ensures potential predator perches or nesting platforms are not placed close to Burrowing Owl nests). Certain avian predators, such as Great Horned Owls, are in higher abundance currently than historically, likely because of an increased number of human structures used as supports for nests.
Ferruginous Hawk Nesting Platform and Pole:
In areas where trees have decreased in number, an increase in number of artificial nest platforms for Ferruginous Hawks have shown to help increase numbers of this threatened bird. The presence of Ferruginous Hawks is, in turn, beneficial to landholders: a single pair can consume as many as 500 ground squirrels in one season. Working with various Alberta power companies, OGC will provide and install Ferruginous Hawk nesting platforms and poles for landholders with Ferruginous Hawks currently nesting in natural or artificial nests that are at risk of falling, and/or previously occupied nests that have fallen
Rationale:
- Increase/Improve Prey habitats
through off-site watering and native seeding projects. Studies
have shown a significant association between Burrowing Owl
reproductive success and prey availability. Burrowing owl
prey (most importantly, voles and mice) are more abundant
in wetter areas, where grass height and density is greater.
Telemetry studies have shown that owls select such areas
to hunt (e.g., healthy riparian areas, natural draws, and/or
grassed waterways).
- Increase nest/roost availability
through reduction of pest control (i.e., decrease
lethal control of ground squirrels and badgers). Nest holes
appear to be limiting for burrowing owls. Burrowing Owl
nest and roost holes are created primarily by badgers excavating
ground squirrel holes. New holes need to be created each
year to replace old holes that have filled in naturally,
or collapsed for any other reason. Higher densities of roosts
increase post-fledging survival.
- Mitigation of Predation Pressure
(e.g., removal of predator perches and nesting structures,
and preventative site-planning that ensures potential predator
perches or nesting platforms are not placed close to Burrowing
Owl nests). Certain avian predators, such as Great Horned
Owls, are in higher abundance currently than historically,
likely because of an increased number of human structures
used as supports for nests.
OGC will also measure quantitative impact of management
changes on reproductive success of burrowing owls.
Alberta Fish and Game Association
6924-104 Street, Edmonton, Alberta
Tel: (780) 437-2342 | E-mail:
office@afga.org
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