Kid Territory:Critters: Owl Underground
Many Wild Animal Park visitors are surprised to encounter owls that live underground! 
Because of the parents’ behavior, the Condor Ridge keepers suspected there might be some owlets on the way. Sure enough, a few weeks later, they emerged from their den. 
Burrowing owls’ camouflage is well suited for the American West.
Their storyWhen Condor Ridge opened in 2000, four young burrowing owls arrived at the Wild Animal Park: one male and two females from the Toledo Zoo, and a lone female from a zoo in Arizona. It wasn’t long before keepers discovered that the Toledo male and the Arizona female had paired up. They soon became the first Condor Ridge animals to produce offspring! The first familyAt first, the keepers didn’t even know the owls had laid eggs. The female spent most of her time in her underground burrow where keepers couldn’t see her. But employees noticed the male bringing food into the burrow, and saw him diligently standing guard at the burrow entrance. In fact, whenever the desert tortoises (who share the exhibit with the owls and the magpie) wandered too close to the burrow, the tiny owl would puff up his feathers to look bigger and scarier! A few weeks after the keepers suspected there might be some new additions on the way, four chicks appeared outside the burrow! Those chicks have since left for other zoos. One of the adult females was also relocated, and the remaining solo female has quickly become a favorite with visitors. Keepers say she tends to stay close to the front of the enclosure, where she’s easily seen, even when she’s tucked away in her open cave. Guests often see her enjoying her favorite activity—catching crickets in her talons. It seems that keepers are the only ones who have a difficult time viewing the burrowing owls. The birds recognize the Park uniforms as soon as a keeper comes into view. The owls quickly alert each other with a chattering alarm call, which almost sounds like a rattlesnake, then they duck below ground into their burrows! Where you can see themYou can visit the Wild Animal Park’s burrowing owls, along with other native North American animals, at Condor Ridge. More Animal Bytes:
Owl, Tortoise
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