Most owls are solitary creatures, but the burrowing owl is social. They are also losing their grassland homes to human encroachment. In order to save the burrowing owls, conservationists have been relocating the owls into new territory. The problem is getting the owls to accept their new homes. The trick is to make them think other burrowing owls already live there, indicating that it's a good habitat.
One method of doing this is to play the sounds of owls for the new arrivals. Colleen Wisinski, a conservation biologist at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, worked with the Fish and Wildlife Service to help acclimate a group of western burrowing owls into four new areas in California. In addition to playing owl sounds, she also distributed fake owl poop around, to convince the newcomers that other burrowing owls were there. And it works! Don't tell the owls, but that owl poop is actually just white paint. Read more about how conservationists relocate burrowing owls at WRAL. -via Fark
(Top image credit: Charles J. Sharp)
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