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Article for: The Davis Enterprise Date: March 24, 2006
Author: Mackenzie Yamamura

THE WORLD OF BURROWING OWLS

Owls are nocturnal animals, right? Not so for the burrowing owl. While many owls are nocturnal, active and hunting at night, burrowing owls are crepuscular, which means they are active and hunt during the morning and evening hours. This and other noteworthy behaviors of this local creature will be explored tomorrow at Explorit Science Center in an all-ages presentation led by John McNerney, the wildlife resource specialist at the City of Davis. Learn about these owls (and other local ones, too) and take a guided tour of the nearby owl preserve in the Mace Ranch Community Park.

The program is free and part of Explorit's free admission Saturday. Presentations start at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Each presentation begins with a slide show and overview of the owls that frequent the Central Valley, including the burrowing owl and others such as the barn and great horned owls. Visitors will learn about the physical characteristics that distinguish these owls as well as how to identify their habitats. "If you can identify the habitat then you know that you are in a particular owl's neck of the woods," said McNerny. etc. ...