Endangered Species - What Can I Do To Help?

It can be really discouraging to read about birds, reptiles, or animals that are threatened with extinction. We want to help, but what can we do as individuals with no formal training or resources? We did some research and spoke with Melissa Ranalli, Species at Risk Manager, Nature Saskatchewan, and found some helpful information. 

1. Habitat Enhancement

Habitat loss or degradation is almost always one of the reasons a species is at risk. Any efforts you take to create a wildlife-friendly habitat on your property will be hugely beneficial. Add a pond or water feature, install nest or bat boxes, or plant wildflowers. Each of these actions will help a variety of different creatures. 

Swallows: Swallows are in rapid decline. If you find them nesting under your eaves, don’t stop them. You’ll be grateful when you see how many insects they can eat in just a few hours. 

Bats: Do you have a bat house in your garden? By monitoring and uploading the results to iNaturalist, you can provide valuable information about the best bat house design. 

Insects: Insects are particularly valuable as they are the primary food source for so many reptiles, amphibians, birds, and even some animals. They’ll really appreciate it if you keep your yard on the wild side. Don’t rake the leaves in autumn. Don’t mow the grass in early spring. Build an insect hotel. Leave a pile of detritus in an out-of-the-way corner. You’ll be creating cozy spots where insects can live and over-winter. 

You’ll gain lots of information and probably native seeds and plants by joining the Butterflyway Project in your local community, which encourages individuals and families to plant pollinator-friendly gardens. 

Dead Trees & Fallen Logs: We tend to remove dead trees or fallen branches from our private and municipal properties, but they play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity. From 10-40% of birds and mammals nest and raise their young in holes in trees. By maintaining multi-age ecosystems, we’re providing a habitat for birds, insects, and animals as well as maintaining the nutrient cycle. 

Pesticide-free: The pesticides and herbicides that you spray on your grass and lawn are poisons and will also harm insects, birds, and other wildlife that eat sprayed vegetation. 

Clean Up Litter: Removing litter from shorelines and other natural areas protects wildlife from hazards (such as ducks getting tangled in fishing line) and the soil and water from contaminants (cigarette butts leach toxic chemicals).

 

Farms & Acreages: If you live on a rural property, you have a fantastic opportunity to protect and maintain the wildlife that share your land. Nature Saskatchewan offers 5 stewardship programs that engage rural landowners in conserving habitat to protect species at risk. 

You can also make sure any water running through your property isn’t contaminated and take steps to prevent run-off and erosion. One couple whose homes fronts onto a lake stopped weeding their shoreline last year and have noticed that they have far more wildlife – beavers, killdeer, and turtles. 

Katie and Aaron Suek of the Restoring 71 Project believe that acreages are a missed opportunity as they have so much potential for positioning the protection and restoration of natural areas as a convenience rather than an added effort. “It’s so much less work and you’ll see so much more wildlife if you let it go wild,” Katie says. 

The Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan offers a guide to acreage living that you may find useful.

 

2. Species Reintroduction 

It can be tempting to attempt to reintroduce a wild creature such as a frog or lizard onto your property, but it’s risky. The habitat may be wrong or it may be the wrong species for your particular area (for example, there are several different varieties of northern leopard frog). A more effective approach is to volunteer or donate to support a professional reintroduction project. 

Volunteer: If your primary interest is plants, why not volunteer with the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan and help pull out invasive species or plant native plants along roadsides? Volunteers with the Nature Conservancy of Canada help with tree planting, reducing barriers and hazards to wildlife, installing nest boxes, and many other projects. There have been opportunities in the past to assist with wildlife reintroduction projects at Grasslands National Park. 

Donate: Conservation projects are always looking for additional funds and would welcome your support. Here are just a couple of local programs. 

The Calgary Zoo’s conservation research team is using science to sustain threatened wildlife. They are breeding whooping cranes, northern leopard frogs, swift foxes, and various other species for reintroduction into the wild. 

The Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre offers displays and educational programs to promote the conservation of this endangered owl and its habitat. A similar program in British Columbia, the Burrowing Owl Conservation Society of British Columbia, has a captive breeding program and creates and maintains a system of artificial burrows for released owls. 

Organizations such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada play an important role in preserving and restoring ecologically significant areas by planting trees, restoring wetlands, and removing invasive species and wildlife hazards. They offer a variety of volunteering, donation, and legacy options.

EcoFriendly Sask supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an online publication, an events calendar, small grants, and the Nature Companion website/app. You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or subscribing by email (top right corner).

5 Amazing Facts about Owls

Owls are outstanding hunters relying on both their eyes and ears to spot their prey: 

• The circle of feathers surrounding many owls’ faces acts like a satellite dish, helping to collect the sound waves and channel them to their ears. In addition, their ears are often located at different heights on their head helping them to pinpoint where a sound originates. 
• Owls’ eyes function like a pair of binoculars. They are cylindrical and immobile, which increases depth perception and helps them to focus on their prey. 
• Owls can swivel their heads up to 270 degrees, giving them an amazing opportunity to see in all directions while remaining almost motionless. 

Owls swallow their prey whole, digesting what they can and storing the indigestible parts – teeth, bones, claws, feathers, and fur – in the second part of their stomach, the gizzard. The undigested parts are compressed into a pellet the shape of the gizzard and regurgitated several hours after they finish eating. By examining an owl pellet, you can discover what they have been eating. 

Owls use their feet to grab their prey. The bones are shorter and stronger than in other birds, helping them to withstand the shock when they make contact with their victim. The bottom of their feet has a rough, knobbly surface that improves their grip and helps them to hang on to the animal they have captured. Like other raptors, owls have 3 toes facing forward and one facing back. But owls are able to rotate one of their forward-facing toes to the back, giving them a better, more even grip on their prey as it struggles to escape. 

If a Canada Goose flies overhead, you can clearly hear its wings flapping. But that’s not the case with owls, particularly those that hunt at night. Their large wings (Snowy Owl have a wingspan of 4-5 feet) enable them to fly as slowly as 2 miles per hour with little flapping. A comb-like fringe on the wing feathers creates smaller streams of air, helping to muffle the sound of the air rushing over their wings. Silent flight means that their prey don’t hear them coming and the owls’ hearing isn’t masked by the sound of their own wings. 

Not all owls hunt by night. Some only hunt by night; others only hunt by day; while many are active both day and night. Northern Hawk Owl hunt by day, relying on their eyesight more than their hearing. Birds that usually hunt at night, such as the Great Horned Owl, are often after rodents, which are more active at night. 

See also: Owls of Saskatchewan 

Find out more about Saskatchewan wildlife on EcoFriendly Sask’s Nature Companion

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Owls of Saskatchewan

There is something mysterious about owls. Their silence, intense gaze, and immobility lend a dignity not found in many other birds. Below are the owls you’re most likely to find in Saskatchewan. 

Boreal Owl 

As their name indicates, Boreal Owl live year-round in the spruce and fir forests of northern Canada. They are small birds (8-11 in) with a square-shaped head. They have white spots on a brown back and brown streaks on a white belly. The grayish white facial disc is surrounded by a dark border and there are tiny white spots on the top of their head. 

Boreal Owl hunt at night, sitting on a tree branch until they spot and pounce on their prey (small rodents and squirrels). They lay up to 19 eggs in tree cavities, such as those created by woodpeckers. They will also make use of nest boxes when they are provided. 

Did you know? The male’s low hooting call can be heard from mid-February to April as they entice the females with food and song. The males offer the females a choice of 1-5 nesting sites on their territory and feed them for up to 3 months prior to nesting. 

Burrowing Owl 

Burrowing Owl are tiny (7.5-10 in) with long legs and a short tail. They are a mottled brown with white eyebrows and throat. They can be found during the summer in southwestern Canada and the western United States. Northern birds migrate further south for the winter. They are found year-round in southern California, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and the Florida Panhandle. 

Burrowing Owl live in treeless areas with an open view and plenty of holes for shelter. Look for them standing on the ground next to their burrow or perched on a nearby fence post. You may see them near a prairie dog colony as the owls use the abandoned burrows of prairie dogs and ground squirrels for nests. 

Burrowing Owl turn their head upside down when curious and bob up and down when threatened. They are active day and night. 

Could it be? Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, and Snowy Owl also live in grassland areas, but they're all much larger than the Burrowing Owl. Short-eared Owl (14-17 in) are the most similar, but they have shorter legs, an obvious facial disc, and fly low over the fields rather than walking on the ground. 

Did you know? Burrowing Owl often line the entrance to their burrows with animal dung to attract insects that they then catch and eat. 

Great Gray Owl 

Great Gray Owl are the tallest (24-33 in) North American owl with the largest wingspan (4.5-5 ft) but are mostly fluff and only half the weight of a Snowy Owl or a Great Horned Owl. They can be found year-round in the evergreen forests of Alaska and northern Canada as well as the western mountain region stretching from British Columbia through Washington, Idaho, Montana, and parts of California. They have silvery gray feathers, a round head with a large facial disc, a black and white bowtie across the neck, and yellow eyes and beak. 

Great Gray Owl hunt for rodents and other small mammals during the day. They prefer a mix of dense forest for nesting and open areas (meadows, clearings) for hunting. 

Could it be? Great Horned Owl hunt at night and have earlike tufts on their head. Northern Hawk Owl are also found in northern boreal forests, but they have a long tail and short pointed wings. Barred Owl are smaller with dark eyes and no black-and-white throat markings. 

Did you know? Great Gray Owl live in Scandinavia, Russia, Siberia, and Mongolia as well as North America. 

Great Horned Owl 

Great Horned Owl can be found in forests from the Arctic all the way to South America where their short, wide wings allow them to manoeuvre between the trees. They are large (18-25 in) birds with long earlike tufts pointing out to the side, a white bib, a dark brown body with white markings, and bright yellow eyes. They have a deep hooting voice that is unlike any other North American owl. 

Could it be? Great Gray Owl are also forest dwellers, but they hunt during the day and don't have ear tufts. Long-eared Owl prefer open grasslands and are smaller and slender with ear tufts that point straight up rather than out at a slight angle. 

Did you know? Great Horned Owl are ferocious predators with prey ranging from birds or mammals larger than themselves to small insects, mice, and frogs. They use their large, strong talons to break the spine of large prey. 

Long-eared Owl 

Long-eared Owl are slender birds (13-16 in) with long ear tufts pointing straight up. Their dark mottled feathers and rusty-orange facial disc provide excellent camouflage when roosting during the day in thick stands of trees. They can be found in Canada during the summer breeding season and are found year-round and during the winter in the United States. They may be spotted in the far southern interior of British Columbia all year round. 

Long-eared Owl hunt in open grasslands at night, occasionally at dusk, flying low over the ground and searching for prey by sight or sound. They eat small mammals, particularly rodents. Long-eared Owl don't build their own nests. Instead, they use stick nests built by crow and magpie. 

Could it be? Great Horned Owl are larger than Long-eared Owl. Their ear tufts are shorter and point out at an angle rather than straight up and down. 

Did you know? If disturbed on their nest, Long-eared Owl raise their ear tufts and compress their feathers to disguise themselves as a broken branch. 

Northern Hawk Owl 

As their name indicates, Northern Hawk Owl bear similarities to hawks as well as owls. They are the only owl with a long hawk-like tail, but their head and body are wider than a hawk’s. They have a dark, medium-sized (14-17 in) body with white markings and a pale face surrounded by a black border. 

Northern Hawk Owl hunt during the day, pouncing on their prey from on high like a hawk. They can be found year-round in the boreal forests of Alaska and northern Canada. They move south in extreme weather or when there is a shortage of food. 

Did you know? Northern Hawk Owl can detect prey by sight at up to half a mile. 

Northern Saw-whet Owl 

Northern Saw-whet Owl are small birds (7-8.5 in), close to the size of a Robin. They have a large round head, big yellow eyes surrounded by a white facial disc, and no ear tufts. They have a brown back and a white breast with dark brown streaks. They hunt at night for rodents, especially mice. Listen for their single shrill repeating call. 

Northern Saw-whet Owl are forest dwellers and can be found year-round in southern Canada, southern Alaska, as well as forested regions from Washington to California, from Montana to Arizona and New Mexico, and around the Great Lakes and the northeastern United States. They winter in the dense forests of central and southern United States. 

Could it be? Northern Saw-whet Owl are smaller than Boreal Owl with streaks instead of spots on their forehead. Screech Owl are also small, but they have ear tufts. 

Did you know? Young Northern Saw-whet Owl are very distinctive as they have a dark brown head, a white triangle on their forehead, and a rusty-colored breast. 

Short-eared Owl 

Short-eared Owl can be found in open grasslands from North and South America to Europe and Asia. In Canada, you will be most likely to spot them in the spring as they migrate north to breed, although some breed in Saskatchewan. 

Short-eared Owl are medium-sized owls (13-17 in). Their yellow eyes are rimmed in black within a pale facial disk. They have streaky brown feathers with broad, rounded wings. The small ear tufts can be hard to spot. A pale patch on their upper wings can be spotted when they are in flight. 

Short-eared Owl are most active at dawn or dusk. They fly low over open areas, ready to pounce on voles and other rodents and occasionally birds (especially in coastal areas). They are unusual among owls as they construct their own nest, a hollow in the ground lined with grass and feathers. Males bring food to the females who then feed the young. 

Did you know? Female Short-eared Owls are reluctant to leave the nest when they are breeding. If they have to, they defecate on the eggs, presumably hoping that the stink will deter predators and mask the smell of the nest. 

Snowy Owl 

Snowy Owl prefer treeless, wide-open spaces. The islands high above the Arctic Circle are their summer breeding grounds, but they can be seen in Saskatchewan during the winter flying over the fields or perched on a fence post or hay bale as they scan the area for small animal prey. Some years large numbers will appear south of the Canadian border in search of food. 

Snowy Owl (20-28 in, 50-57 in wingspan) have a round head and yellow eyes in a white facial disc. Males can be pure white, but females have mixed white and brown feathers. Their feet are covered with feathers to protect them from the cold. 

Did you know? Snowy Owl hunt both day and night, perhaps because they've adapted to almost day-long sunlight during the Arctic summer and day-long darkness in the winter. 

See also: Five Amazing Facts about Owls

Find out more about Saskatchewan wildlife on EcoFriendly Sask’s Nature Companion, a free nature app covering Canada's four western provinces.

You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner)

EcoSask News, June 16, 2020

 

Upcoming Events 

Ours to Save, Ours to Lose, June 18 (webinar) 

Join Dan Kraus, Nature Conservancy of Canada, as he discusses the plants and animals that are unique to Canada at 11:30 am (SK time), June 18. 

Summer Solstice, June 21 (Regina) 

You’re invited to gather on Wascana Hill to greet the sunrise and the beginning of summer at 4:45 am, June 21. 

Nature Sask AGM, June 22 (online) 

Nature Saskatchewan will be holding its annual general meeting online at 7 pm, June 22. 

Wildlife Research during a Global Quarantine, June 22 (webinar) 

Ryan Brook will discuss wildlife research during a global quarantine: tracking the rapid spread of invasive wild pigs during a noon-hour webinar on June 22. 

Group Excursion Leadership & Preparedness, June 23 (online) 

SaskOutdoors and Back40 Wilderness First Aid are hosting a webinar on group excursion leadership and preparedness from 7:30-8:30 pm, June 23. 

Women & the Energy Transition, June 23 (online) 

Pembina Institute is hosting a webinar panel discussion on the role of women in a changing energy economy from 11 am-12:15 pm (SK time), June 23. 

Sask River Basin AGM, June 24 (Saskatoon) 

The annual general meeting of Partners FOR the Saskatchewan River Basin will be held at 10 am, June 24. 

Carrot River Valley Watershed AGM, June 26 (Melfort) 

The Carrot River Valley Watershed Association is holding its annual general meeting at 1 pm, June 26, in Melfort. Email crwatershed@gmail.com by June 23 to register. 

Supporting Wild Bee Diversity, June 26 (webinar) 

Join SaskOrganics for a live webinar on supporting wild bee diversity on farms from 9:30-10:30 am, June 26. 

Zoo Training, June 29 (Saskatoon) 

The Saskatoon Zoo Society is looking for volunteer interpreters to help with their Wild Weekends programming. Find out more at the volunteer training session from 6-8 pm, June 29. 

Creating an Ecological Society, June 29 (webinar) 

This 2 ½ hour UK-based webinar on creating an ecological society will explore the relationship between social and ecological problems on June 29, 8-10:30 am (SK time). 

A full list of upcoming events can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar 

Local News 

Explore Regina's green spaces with self-directed guides from Nature Regina 

Nature Saskatchewan is asking residents to post sightings of burrowing owls 

Prince Albert’s plastic bag ban has been put on hold until the end of the current state of emergency 

From Information to Action 

A Yukon First Nation plans to open a native plant nursery to support mine reclamation work 

Could cabbages, rapeseed, and sunflowers replace mining as a source of lithium, a key component of electronics and electric vehicles? 

Carbon-neutral coffee via wind power: “Sometimes long-distance transport is necessary for a balanced and sustainable supply chain, so sail cargoes have a role to play in that” 

We’re drowning in light: human beings, when faced with the availability of a cheaper and more efficient lighting technology, simply use more of it 

“Spending time with wild animals and plants, observing them, considering what they need to survive and thrive, exponentially expands our sense of family. . . . All of these plants and animals, these urban trees, sidewalk beetles, pearl-winged pigeons, are our neighbors” 

Miyawaki Forests – converting barren land into a thriving forest in a span of 3 years 

5 inventions illustrating the future of solar energy [10-minute video] 

Natural Wonders 

Jeremy, the love-lorn lefty snail 

Parenting helps shape bigger brains – in jays, crows, and ravens 

The Big Bat Year – 29 countries, 396 species 

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. 

You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

EcoSask News, August 6, 2019

Upcoming Events
Household Hazardous Waste, Aug. 11 (Saskatoon)
You can dispose of household hazardous waste at City of Saskatoon’s Civic Operations Centre from 9 am – 3:30 pm, Aug. 11.

Fabulous Feathered Fun, Aug. 12 (Prince Albert)
Visit the John M. Cuelenaere Public Library for stories, rhymes, and craft featuring our feathered friends at 2 pm, Aug. 12.

Permaculture Garden Tour, Aug. 13 (Saskatoon)
Join Permaculture Saskatchewan for a garden tour and potluck at 6 pm, Aug. 13.

Prairie Bats & White Nose Syndrome, Aug. 14 (Eastend)
There will be a discussion on white nose syndrome on the Canadian Prairies at SODCAP’s AGM at 1 pm, Aug. 14.

Owls on the Prowl, Aug. 14 (Gravelbourg)
Kids can meet a burrowing owl from 3-4 pm, Aug. 14, at Gravelbourg Public Library.

Nature Activity, Aug. 14 (Churchbridge)
Churchbridge Public Library is hosting a special guest from the Yellowhead Flyway Birding Trail Association for a nature activity from 2-3 pm, Aug. 14.

Meditations on the Prairie, Aug. 14-Sept. 13 (Saskatoon)
John Penner’s photographs of the Canadian prairie landscape will be on display in The Gallery of the Frances Morrison Library from Aug. 14-Sept. 13.

Looking Ahead
Meewasin Eco-Scavenger Hunts, Aug. 17, 24, 31 & Sept. 7 (Saskatoon)
Help document active species in the Small and Northeast Swales, Aug. 17 (9 am-4 pm), Aug. 24 (9 am-4 pm), Aug. 31 (8-10 am), and Sept. 7 (9 am-4 pm). People of all experiences and backgrounds are welcome to join.

Wascana Junior Naturalist, Sept-Nov (Regina)
Kids ages 9-13 can participate in a variety of activities at Wascana Junior Naturalist from 6-8 pm on Sept. 10 & 17, Oct. 1, 22 & 29, and Nov. 19 & 26.

Forest Gardening North of the 29th, Sept. 13-15 (Ness Creek)
Richard Walker will share the key skills of forest gardening from Sept. 13-15 at Ness Creek.

A full list of upcoming events can be found on the EcoFriendly Sask Calendar 

In the News
Friends of Wascana Marsh is looking for volunteers to help with pond dipping and marsh hikes during the Harbour Landing Summer Bash from 10 am-6 pm, Aug. 25. Call Ramona at 306.531.9759 if you can help.

Saskatoon residents are encouraged to contact their City Councillor and to show your support for the City’s proposed Low Emissions Community Plan.

Conservation groups in Minnesota are urged to address unregulated agricultural sub-surface drainage tiling. Tiling drains fields rapidly and can lead to loss of wetland wildlife and plants, water pollution, and downstream flooding. A strong response to the article provides additional information both pro and con.

“The current carbon footprint of the fashion industry is over eight per cent of total global greenhouse gas emissions, larger than all international travel. . . . The average consumer bought 60 per cent more clothing in 2014 than in 2000, but kept each garment half as long. . . . and less than one per cent of all clothing produced globally is recycled.”

“There is no evidence that fracking can operate without threatening public health directly and without imperiling climate stability upon which public health depends.”

Energy development and commercial interests win when pitted against endangered species.

Wales’ Wildlife Trust has developed a short film based on Wind in the Willows to shed light on the problems faced by wildlife today. What if we developed a similar film for Saskatchewan based on Who Has Seen the Wind or Wolf Willow?

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. 

You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).