A researcher fits a tiny gps 'backpack' onto an adult burrowing owl. The hood over the head
of the owl keeps it completely calm while the bird is handled by the researcher.
Burrowing owl populations have been steadily declining on the Canadian Prairies for decades now, and as a result, there is extensive research being conducted in several parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan to try to get an accurate population count, to find out the cause of the decline, and to learn more about the owls' behaviour and biology. I was fortunate enough to watch and photograph researchers as they captured owls using a variety of methods, then banded them, measured them and occasionally fitted them with tiny gps 'backpacks' to determine their movements and range while hunting near their nests. Researchers also set up remote cameras inside and outside of nests to watch chick and adult behaviour.
But perhaps the most interesting part of the research was when the researchers 'peeped' the nests...they laid flat on the ground, then inserted a long, rubber hose outfitted with night vision technology into the nest's nooks and crannies and tried to visually determine how many eggs were in the nest, then, later, to see how many young had hatched. One of the most exciting parts was the initial 'nosing' about; one never knew exactly what they'd find when they inserted the hose and started poking around (one researcher screamed when her hose ran 'head on' into a large snake!)!