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Corey S. Riding

Effects of Nest Cleanliness on Burrow Reuse by Burrowing Owls (Athene Cunicularia)

Corey S. Riding and James R. Belthoff, Department of Biology and Raptor Research Center, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725 USA.

We investigated the effects of nest cleanliness on burrow reuse by Burrowing Owls nesting in southwestern Idaho in 2004. Artificial burrows used for nesting by owls in the previous year were placed into one of three treatments: 1) control, old nest material (dung, bones from prey, other accumulated materials) removed and replaced without modification; 2) microwave, old nest material removed, microwaved to kill potential ectoparasites, and replaced; or 3) removal, old next material removed from burrow. Control burrows (n=10) had the highest reuse rate (50%). Microwave burrows (n=9) and removal burrows (n=17) both had much lower reuse rates (22% and 12% respectively). The observed difference in reuse between control and removal burrows may derive from the presence of old nesting material acting as a signal of suitability, in that old material may indicate to owls that they have encountered an acceptable nest site. The low reuse rate for microwave burrows may indicate that the presence or absence of ectoparasites is unimportant to Burrowing Owls when selecting a nest burrow. Confirmatory tests of these initial hypotheses are planned for 2005.

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  This page was last reviewed on 20 December 2006.