Faq

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are Burrowing owls found only in Cape Coral?
No. The Florida burrowing owl is a subspecies of burrowing owl found throughout Florida.
The western species is found from Canada to Mexico, as far east as Texas and Louisiana and as far west as California. In some states the burrowing owl is on the endangered species list.

2. What do burrowing owls eat? Should I feed them and offer water?
Their main diet consists of insects, anoles (lizards) frogs and mice. They obtain water from the food they eat. Please do not attempt to feed them.

3. The owls near my house are very protective will they attack me
or my children?
If you get too close to the burrow, the owls will make a lot of noise, bob their heads
and display their wings to dissuade you from getting any closer. The city has never received any reports of injury to humans or pets from owls.

4. When is nesting season?
Officially, from February 15th – July 10th each year. The peak time of nest initiation in Cape Coral is mid-March

5. How long until the babies are on their own?
At approximately 42 days old, the owls are learning to fly and catch their own food.
Becoming completely independent is a process that doesn’t happen all in one day.
It is not uncommon for owls born in May to stay near the nest until August of the same year.

6. Do the owls use the same nest repeatedly?
Owls are very site specific, which means they are likely to return to the same territory year after year to raise their young, If the burrow is damaged either by humans or natural causes, becomes too over grown, or if the owls are continuously harassed at their current location, they will often move to a nearby area to start a new nest.

7. Is it true you can’t build a house if your lot has an owl burrow on it?
You can build on your property even if there is an owl burrow on site. IF the builder can maintain a protective zone with a ten-foot radius centered around the entrance your home can be built right beside the owl’s home. Sod can be laid up to the burrow entrance. Once all work is done, the stakes can be taken down, the burrow stays intact and the new residents have the privilege of sharing their home site with the owls. Owls can identify individuals and peacefully coexist with their human neighbors.

In fact we encourage this practice. In the event that the burrow is not in a location that would allow your home to be built around it, the developer must obtain a permit from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission to destroy the nest. The permit would be effective after nesting season as long as there are no signs of eggs or flightless young and owls are not present at the burrow. The burrow must be dug up by hand with a shovel, ensuring that there are no birds inside when the site is graded. The owls are then on their own to find a new site.

8. Can the owls be relocated?
Since owls are site specific, they return to the same nesting area year after year. The nest can only be destroyed if a permit from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has been issued. Owls can be attracted to starter burrows on already developed properties nearby.

9. The owls have vacated the burrow. Is it legal to fill it in?
No. It is important to remember that the owl burrow, the owls and their eggs are all protected from harassment and/or disturbance by state law. They are also protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

10. Is the owl on the Endangered Species List?
Florida’s burrowing owls are listed as a species of special concern by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. There are three levels of protection: species of special concern, threatened and endangered. Species of special concern are those facing a moderate risk of extinction in the future. A threatened species is one facing a very high risk of extinction in the future. Endangered species are in imminent danger of extinction due to man-made or natural factors. Steps need to be taken now to keep Florida’s burrowing owls off the threatened species list.

11. What should I do if I see someone bothering the owls, or trying to hurt them?
Any harassment of burrowing owls or malicious destruction of their nests should be reported to Wildlife Alert. The number is toll free: 1800-282-8002, (or you can call the City of Cape Coral’s Growth & Land Management Division at 574-0552).

12. What should I do if I see a sick or injured owl?
Call the City of Cape Coral Division of Growth and Land Management at 574-0552 or C.R.O.W. (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife) at 472-3644

13. What can I do to help the burrowing owls?
Report harassment or destruction of the owls and their burrows to Wildlife Alert at 1-800-282-8002.

Restrict the use of pesticides. Owls eat the insects we consider pests, and are therefore exposed to the insecticides we use around our homes. Pesticides limit and contaminate the food sources available to the owls.

Starter burrows. Attracting burrowing owls to our developed properties and integrating them into our community will help ensure their survival. Call 574-0552 for more information, or see our brochure, CAPE CORAL’S BURROWING OWLS-YOU CAN HELP for details.

Help keep staked out burrows in your neighborhood free of trash, weeds and overgrown grass.

Report owl burrows in need of protection from construction or lot mowers to the City of Cape Coral Division of Growth and Land Management at 574-0552
Information Courtesy of the City of Cape Coral