Wildlife lovers take part in owl census
The official bird of the city of Cape Coral is the burrowing owl, and allies of the city’s wildlife want nothing more than to keep as many of these small birds in the Cape as possible.
The problem is the burrowing owl is a threatened species and, unlike most birds, they nest underground. Much of their habitat is being destroyed by the extreme development in the city and some fear the future of this bird is seriously in doubt.
That’s why every year the Friends of Cape Coral Wildlife holds a census to get a rough count on how many owls there are in the city to see just how the birds are holding up to all this development.
On June 5, more than 60 volunteers got into their cars and surveyed the city in search of nests and owls. It was to happen Saturday but was postponed because of the storm that went through Southwest Florida.
“We have people covering the whole city, giving them maps of the area and we have documents of what we see,” said Pascha Donaldson, president of the Friends of Cape Coral Wildlife. “We have to put in the GPS, temperature, how many burrows and owls, adults and babies you see, whether they have brown or yellow eyes or banded.”
This is the fifth year the owl census has been conducted. The data of the five years will be analyzed within the next month to see if the owl population is going up or down.
“This was something we always wanted to do. Florida Fish & Wildlife did a count in 2005 for five years with some biologists over a small part of the city,” Donaldson said. “Over that time they found that the owl population was holding its own.”
Donaldson believes the owl numbers are going to decrease because of loss of owl habitat caused by development. She believes the residents need to be educated on how they can help maintain the owl population and that the birds are not a hindrance.
Donaldson said if the owls become endangered, it could mean significant consequences for the city in regards to development, as Cape Coral is ground zero for the owl population.
“It could stop any more development if there is a burrowing owl. If that happens, people tend to get aggressive and we will find burrows disappear in the middle of the night,” Donaldson said. “It’s in the best interest of the builders that we maintain the population.”
People came from all over to participate in the census this year. Betty Wasicek came from the Orlando area to help count and take pictures of the owls, as she has since moving to Florida four years ago.
She and her husband are avid wildlife enthusiasts and they learned about the burrowing owls from Donaldson in 2014 when visiting to learn more about them.
“I expected to find them in the trees. Lo and behold, these darlings burrow in the ground,” Wasicek said. “We’ve been coming back to photograph the owl specifically at the beginning of the nesting season and when they’re about to fledge and for three years we’ve helped Pascha count the owls.”
Back then, there was more space for the owls. Now, there’s so much development she’s worried their habitat along with the possibility of other animals being affected.
“There are not enough people to protect the species. They have few places they can go and easily burrow into protected areas,” Wasicek said. “Everyone should make a place for these birds and you can make a beautiful yard with them.”