Big Bend Bird Habitat
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In December my husband helped install artificial Burrowing Owl nests near my oasis as a 2007 Christmas Mountains Christmas present. The real present will be the owls, of course. As of late April 2008 no owls have appeared. Maybe some will over-winter this fall.  Here are photos of the completed project.

I made collars of colored cement to prevent feral dogs or coyotes from digging the entrances. A snag has been placed on top of the buried nest sites for perching.

Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia) reside in Texas year-round, although some individuals from farther north only winter in Texas, and  others only nest here, and then migrate farther south during the winter.  So Texas has a rather confusing mix of this species. For 30 years I've enjoyed watching them nest along a county road five miles from my place. Sightings became less frequent and by 2006 I didn't see one individual.  I was thrilled to learn they do well in artificial burrows, and would delight in attracting them. I feel my habitat offers a bounty of food, including frogs and bats galore, both of which they enjoy. And now it features "state-of-the-art" residences for this near- endangered owl.