sagebrush sentinel
watercolor on paper
11″ x 14″

Burrowing Owls are small, charismatic little guys that thrive in sagebrush-dominated landscapes of the western US. They are considered “vulnerable or imperiled” throughout their range due to habitat loss and degradation, pesticide poisoning, decline in prey animal species, suburban sprawl, and more. Ongoing efforts to protect them include restoring native habitat and attempting to list them as an endangered species, particularly in California where the population in the Bay Area faces all of the risk factors listed above.

These owls nest in the ground and don’t actually burrow their own dens but repurpose abandoned dens of badgers or foxes. These owls will gather animal dung and display it around their nest site to conceal their smell and confuse predators.

I’ll be heading out to the desert this week for a few days and hope to see some of these sweet Burrowing Owls out there standing sentinel among the sagebrush.