Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia) are an Endangered Species in Canada. Burrowing Owl populations across the Canadian Prairies have plummeted by some 90% in the past 30 years. I have conducted a variety of research projects on these endangered owls over the past decade – including radio-tracking juvenile pre-migratory movements, radio-tracking foraging male owls, dietary variations in relation to agricultural land use and others.

I currently maintain dozens of nest boxes in an area south of Regina, Saskatchewan. These nest boxes allow me to maintain population and productivity surveys, as well as gather information on yearly variation in diet, survival and other vital demographic parameters. These nest boxes also allow easy access to the young owls for banding and I continue to gather long-term banding-recovery data.

SMALL MAMMAL ECOLOGY

Small mammals play an integral role in grassland ecosystems. Populations fluctuations cascade through predator communities and can significantly affect song bird productivity through nest predation. In addition, there are several species of small mammals in southern Saskatchewan that remain relatively unstudied. Species such as Sagebrush Voles (Lemmiscus curtatus) and Olive-backed Pocket Mice (Perognathus fasciatus) are relatively common but poorly understood. Other species such as Western Harvest Mice (Reithrodontomys megalotis) and Long-tailed Voles (Microtus longicaudus) are at the periphery of their range in Saskatchewan and have yet to be found in the province. For these reasons, many community and species specific questions present themselves.