North America's only ground-dwelling owl, the burrowing owl, is a tiny creature that weighs about as much as an apple. The diminutive birds have been ruffling feathers in the Bay Area of late as they make their winter home in Berkeley's César Chávez Park, attracting off-leash dogs to their underground nests.
Now, Berkeley city staff have begun issuing verbal warnings to dog owners about potential tickets for off-leash dogs in the area the owls inhabit -- a step back from threats of impounding off-leash dogs, writes Berkeleyside. So far, no tickets have been issued.
About 20 years ago, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rejected a bid to protect the species, but last month, the burrowing owl became an endangered species candidate, granting it the same kind of protections as if it were listed while its candidacy is reviewed, reports the L.A. Times.
"In a nutshell, burrowing owl populations are declining across their range, largely because of habitat loss, but also likely because of changes in agriculture and use of chemical pesticides," said Glenn Phillips, executive director of the Golden Gate Bird Alliance, in an email to SFGATE.
Back in 2009, the city of Berkeley -- along with the then-called Golden Gate Audubon Society -- first installed temporary fencing, and then another fence a year later, to help protect these special visitors, but tensions over their presence have only risen since.
The fencing alone is a point of contention. Activist Martin Nicolaus, CEO of the Chavez Park Conservancy, has criticized the city's efforts to protect these owls, insisting that yet another, more robust fence should be built, reports Berkeleyside. The city and the Golden Gate Bird Alliance believe that a bigger fence could endanger the owls by providing perches for predators.
In response to greater enforcement, several dog owners told Berkeleyside they're abandoning César Chávez Park in favor of parks and areas with more lax leash rules. Other dog owners the outlet spoke with are now following the rules and keep their dogs on leash as they "walk to and from the off-leash zone."
"Adult burrowing owls are preyed on primarily by larger raptors (hawks and eagles mostly), while young birds in underground nests are vulnerable to foxes, coyotes, dogs and cats," Phillips said. He noted that dogs and cats have been known to occasionally kill adult birds as well.
Beyond other animals, the owls are also sensitive to humans and have left sites in the past due to people getting too close, Phillips said.