Biology and Management of the Western Burrowing Owl

Overview

Dr. Lynne Trulio will present a workshop on the ecology and conservation of the western burrowing owl, (Athene cunicularia hypugaea). Her research in the South San Francisco Bay region has focused on the ecology and recovery of this species. Dr. Trulio is a researcher and professor at San Jose State University and has published numerous papers on the effects of human impact on the species, as well as the general ecology and management for the species.

This is an excellent opportunity to learn about the natural history, habitat needs, effective management, and implementation of agency requirements for burrowing owl conservation. Workshop information will be useful for gaining basic knowledge about the ecology of the species as well as related information about conservation planning, meeting CEQA and other regulatory requirements, and for outreach to the public.

Workshop format

The workshop consists of two half-days of virtual lecture, Wednesday, July 10, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., and Thursday, July 11, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., and one of two in-person field training sessions in San Jose on Friday, July 12th, either 9 am - 11 am or 11:30 am - 1:30 pm.

Workshop objectives

• Increase understanding of the biology of burrowing owl
• Increase understanding of habitat management for this species
• Increase understanding of improved local and large-scale conservation planning efforts

Topics discussed

• Basic biology
• Identification
• Distribution/movement
• Habitat requirements
• Threats
• Survey methods
• Methods for assessing potential project impacts and approaches for avoidance and minimization.
• Management and regulatory requirements

Field training practicum

During the field visit, participants will learn:

• To distinguish burrows of different species
• To identify a burrowing owl in the field
• To identify burrowing owl habitat characteristics - breeding, foraging, wintering
• The basics of line-transect surveying for burrowing owls
• About detection probabilities of different survey methods
• About habitat enhancement methods in an urban site

This component can give participants only a brief introduction to the requirements and difficulties of field surveying and cannot be viewed as adequate preparation for undertaking burrowing owl surveys to satisfy agency requirements. You will be enrolled in one of two possible field sessions on Friday, July 12th, either 9 am - 11 am or 11:30 am - 1:30 pm, taking place in San Jose.

It is important to note that no component of this workshop should be construed to apply to attendee’s ability to obtain permits for western burrowing owl; if you are interested in how workshop activities might be used for permitting, you are encouraged to contact your agency permitting representative.

Payment Deadline & Registration Details

5 p.m. June 21 is the deadline for both payment and registration. Payment can be made by check or by credit card through Eventbrite page. Please note that the $320 registration fee does not include Eventbrite's fee if you choose to pay by credit card.

We do not allow 3rd party registration - please do not register anyone but yourself.

If you cancel prior to June 21, 5 p.m., we will refund any registration fees minus a $50 processing fee. We cannot refund registration fees for cancellation after this date however, please let us know if you cannot attend, so we can allow others the opportunity to register. If you pre-register and do not pay by June 21, 5 p.m., we cannot guarantee you a spot as our waiting list tends to be quite long. You cannot substitute your registration for another, even in your own organization. We reserve the right to cancel or postpone this event should we receive insufficient registration by June 25; in that event, we will remit full refunds.

After you register, please email Grant Lyon (grant@elkhornslough.org) your preference for the field training component. While we cannot guarantee your preference, we will do what we can to meet your desires. To make the field component work well, we must make difficult decisions in splitting the group into two, maximizing the teacher:student ratio. We will notify you of your assigned field training date by June 25.