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i L G~~~O 3~®~q~ ~'y OF `~ RECOMMENDED SURVEY PROTOCOL AND ACTIONS TO PROTECT NESTING BURROWING OWLS WHEN CONDUCTING PRAIRIE DOG CONTROL Western Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) are commonly found in prairie dog towns throughout Colorado. Burrowing owls require prairie dog or other suitable burrows (e g. badger) for nesting and roosting, Burrowing owls are migratory, breeding throughout the western United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexiw and wintering in the southern United States and throughout Mexico. Federal and state laws prohibit the harming or killing of burrowing owls and the destruction of active nests. It is quite possible to inadvertently kill burrowing owls during prairie dog poisoning projects, removal of prairie dogs, destruction of burrows and prairie dogs using a concussive device, or during earth moving for construction. Because burrowing owls often hide in burrows when alarmed, it is not practical to haze the birds away from prairie dog towns prior to prairie tlog poisoning/removal, burzow destruction, or construction activity. Because of this, the Colorado Division of Wildlife'recommends surveying prairie dog towns for burrowing owl presence before potentially harmful activities are initiated.. in a prairie dog town, and what to do if burrowing owls are detected. These guidelines do not guarantee that burrowing owls wilt be detected if they are present However, adherence to these guidelines will greatly increase the likelihood of detection. SeasonalTimina Burrowing owls typically arrive on breeding grounds in Colorado in late March or early April, with nesting beginning a few weeks later. Active nesting and fledging has been recorded and may be expected from late March through early August. Adults and young may remain at prairie dog towns until migrating to wintering grounds in late summer or early autumn.. Surveys should be conducted during times when burrowing owls may be present on prairie dog towns. Surveys should be conducted for any activities occurring between March 15~' and October 31", No burrowing owls are expected to be present between November 1'r and March 14"'. Daily Tlmina Burrowing owls are active throughout the day; however, peaks in activity in the morning and evening make these the best times for conducting surveys (Conway and Simon 2003). Surveys should be conducted in the early morning (1/2 hour before sunrise until 2 hours after sunrise) and early evening (2 hours before sunset until 1/2 hour after sunset).. Number and locations of survey points Burrowing owls are most frequently located visually, thus, obtaining a clear view of the entire prairie dog town is necessary, For small prairie dog towns that can be adequately viewed in their entirety from a single location, only one survey point is necessary. The survey point should be selected to provide unobstructed views (with binoculars if necessary) of the entire prairie dog town