 Burrowing owl by Jack Rogers
Have you seen a Florida burrowing owl? They are such a
fascinating bird so it came as no surprise when our google analytics indicated
it was the most popular bird on our website. Burrowing owls as their name
implies, make their homes underground. There are two populations of burrowing
owl in the United States; the Western and Florida. The western subspecies found
west of the Mississippi River takes advantage of abandoned prairie dog tunnels
to make their home. The Florida subspecies excavates their own but will sometimes
use burrows created by gopher tortoises and armadillos. They live as single
breeding pairs or in loose colonies of two or more families. Unlike most owls
they can be active throughout the day and are often seen standing guard at the
entrance to their burrow. In Florida, Burrowing owls typically nest in March
but they have been known to nest any time between October and May. Females lay
up to 8 eggs and incubate them for about 4 weeks. Once hatched the young rely
on their parents care for 12 weeks and cannot fly until they’re about 6 weeks
old. They’re fed insects, small lizards, frogs, snakes, rodents and even small
birds. The Florida burrowing owl is classified as a “species of special
concern” by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They are
protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Historically, the burrowing
owl occupied the prairies of central Florida. In recent times these populations
have decreased due to habitat loss but in south Florida the population has
increased due to modification of habitat in developed areas. Burrowing owls can
be found on golf courses, pastures, airports, ball fields, and in residential
areas.
If you have burrowing owls nesting in your neighborhood
you can help them. Visit the FWC website for more information.
If you want to see a Florida burrowing owl visit
the birding trail website and click on the Latest eBird sightings button.
Recommended trail sites for viewing Florida
burrowing owls
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Brian Piccolo Park
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Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park
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Prairie Driving Loop
Andy’s big year
February was a busy travel month but it gave Andy the
opportunity to visit several wildlife management areas around the state. The
Wings Over Florida field trip to the Florida Keys WEA wasn’t as productive as
he had hoped but magnificent frigatebird, prairie warbler and a female American
redstart (brilliant views!) were added to his list. Living a few miles from L.
Kirk Edwards WEA has its benefits and several visits produced typical woodland
species such as red-bellied woodpecker, Carolina chickadee and common
yellowthroat as well as a typically skulky and fussy sedge wren! Bufflehead,
blue-headed vireo, hermit thrush, yellow-bellied sapsucker and yellow-throated
warbler showed off during his trips to Aucilla and Big Bend WMA, two sites that
attract an amazing variety of birds. Andy has now visited 8 different lead
wildlife management areas and has spotted 83 species.
Citizen science on WMAs
A recent analysis of eBird records showed that e-birders
have submitted over 6,000 checklists and spotted more than 280 different bird
species across the FWC’s 46 lead wildlife management areas.
WMA tip of the month
Have you seen an American woodcock in Florida? March is a good
month to see this species in central and north Florida, especially during the
full moon period. The next full moon is on March 12. Look for woodcocks on warm
evenings in forests, forest edges, old fields, and wet meadows. For much of the
year this bird can be difficult to see but during early spring, males engage in
courtship flights over their territories, calling frequently.
For more information on American woodcocks.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Woodcock/id
For a map of Florida’s lead wildlife management areas.
http://ocean.floridamarine.org/wma/entrances/
Upcoming WMA 75 events
Aucilla Wildlife Management Area Bioblitz on May 6th
Register for free here >>> https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aucilla-bioblitz-tickets-32237357805
Wings Over Florida birds and butterfly field trip to
Apalachicola River Wildlife and Environmental Area on June 3rd
Register for free here >>> https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wings-over-florida-apalachicola-river-wea-tickets-32361245356
Photo contest
Capture the beauty of Florida's WMAs! Explore Florida’s many Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and Wildlife and Environmental Areas (WEAs) to capture moments and share your memories. Submit them to our 75 Years Wild Photo Contest. To learn more on how to participate visit the WMA 75 website.
 Thomas Wilton has earned his first 3 certificates
You can now take part in the
Wings Over Florida butterfly program at 4 of our birding trail sites. If you
are visiting Oakland Nature Preserve, Orlando Wetlands Park, Gumbo Limbo Nature
Center and Key West Botanical Gardens keep a tally of how many different
butterfly species you see and then ask a member of staff about getting your zebra longwing certificate. This fun program is great for families…you only need to
see 10 different butterfly species to earn your first certificate! As always
you can apply for certificates online.
All 4 of our section trail guides are now available as eBooks
from Amazon. https://goo.gl/NH8LIO
You can purchase them for your Kindle. Don’t have a kindle? Then
we got you covered!
Download the FREE Kindle Reader App
iTunes (iPhone & iPad) >>> https://goo.gl/vERNbb
Google Play (android) >>> https://goo.gl/1XYnCb
Need Help?
Help for Apple devices >>> https://goo.gl/bGke9N
Help for Android devices >>> https://goo.gl/DHrydw
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