Burrowing owls are small, long-legged owls that live in underground burrows and get their name from their unique nesting behavior. They are found in grasslands, deserts, and other open areas throughout North and South America. With their round heads, expressive eyes, and tiny size, burrowing owls often capture people’s attention and make them wonder if these owls could make good pets.
Can burrowing owls legally be kept as pets?
In most areas, it is illegal to keep burrowing owls as pets. Burrowing owls are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the United States, Canada, and Mexico which makes it illegal to harm, possess, or transport burrowing owls, their nests, or their eggs without a permit. Permits are only given out for specific purposes like scientific research, education, falconry, or rehabilitation, and not as pets. It is also illegal to take burrowing owls from the wild to keep as pets in most states and provinces.
Why can’t burrowing owls be kept as pets?
There are several important reasons why burrowing owls should not be kept as pets:
- Burrowing owls have very specific dietary, social, lighting, habitat, and climate needs that are difficult to properly meet in captivity. Failure to do so can lead to stress, disease, feather plucking, and early death.
- They are wild animals that can be stressed by constant human interaction and confinement. This stress can cause them to stop eating and become susceptible to disease.
- In the wild, burrowing owls live in monogamous pairs or family groups and can become lonely or depressed when kept singly as pets. Lack of proper socialization is detrimental to their well-being.
- As prey animals, burrowing owls are timid and frightened by loud noises, petting, and restraint. They do not adapt well to living closely with humans.
- Burrowing owls kept as pets are often fed inappropriate diets that lead to metabolic bone disease and other health issues. Meeting their complex nutritional needs is challenging.
- They require large enclosures with plenty of room to fly, run, and burrow. Most households cannot provide sufficient space.
- Their constant digging can be destructive to household furnishings, carpets, and landscaping.
- As wild animals, they retain natural instincts and behaviors like screeching, biting, scratching, and spraying foul-smelling excrement when threatened.
- Removing owls from the wild depletes local populations. Burrowing owls are already declining in parts of their range due to habitat loss.
For all these reasons, most experts advise against keeping burrowing owls as pets even if they are captive bred. Their specialized needs simply make them unsuitable companions for households.
Are there any areas where pet burrowing owls are legal?
There are a few places where it is legal to own a pet burrowing owl, but permits and restrictions still apply:
- Florida allows pet burrowing owls with a special permit. Owls must be captive bred, not taken from the wild. Permits require minimum enclosure sizes and special diets be met.
- Some Native American tribes can obtain permits to keep burrowing owls for religious or cultural purposes under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
- Falconers in the United States may be able to keep captive bred burrowing owls for hunting, but they require special training and facilities to house raptors.
- Zoos, wildlife rehabilitators, and researchers can get licenses to temporarily house burrowing owls.
Even in these exceptions, the owls are not considered true pets. They are more appropriately viewed as wild birds being cared for in human custody for specific permitted reasons. Responsible pet ownership is unlikely given their challenging needs.
What are the challenges of properly caring for a pet burrowing owl?
If someone has legally obtained a captive bred burrowing owl as a pet, meeting its complex needs in captivity presents many daunting challenges:
- Diet – In the wild, burrowing owls eat insects, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. Replicating this varied diet is difficult. They require whole prey animals like mice or chicks and cannot thrive on seed mixes alone. Special vitamin supplements are essential.
- Enclosure – A minimum enclosure size of 10 feet long x 5 feet wide x 6 feet tall is recommended, preferably larger. The enclosure needs deep substrate for digging burrows and perches at varying heights. Access to outdoor flight space is ideal.
- Lighting – Bright full-spectrum lighting on a cycle mimicking natural daylight seasons is needed to maintain health and breeding condition.
- Socialization – Burrowing owls are highly social and live in pairs or family groups in the wild. They should be housed with a compatible mate for companionship.
- Temperature – Temperatures between 65-75°F are needed, which can be challenging to provide indoors. Outdoor housing may be required in cold climates.
- Handling – Burrowing owls are stressed by handling and do not generally like to be petted. They should be observed but not touched excessively.
- Enrichment – Various forms of mental stimulation need to be provided through prey items to hunt, puzzle toys, varied perching, and opportunities to dig, bathe and forage.
- Veterinary care – Few avian veterinarians have experience with burrowing owls, so specialized medical care can be difficult to find if health issues arise.
Failure to meet these husbandry challenges often leads to a burrowing owl becoming malnourished, stressed, injured, or diseased. Their specialized needs make them very difficult to properly care for as pets.
What are some alternatives to keeping burrowing owls as pets?
For those enamored with burrowing owls who want to enjoy observing them close-up, there are several alternatives to keeping them as pets:
- Visit zoos or wildlife parks that exhibit burrowing owls in naturalistic enclosures and educate about their conservation.
- Join local conservancy groups that monitor and protect burrowing owl populations in the wild.
- Volunteer at a wildlife rehabilitation center that temporality houses injured owls being reconditioned for release.
- Set up nest boxes or artificial burrows to attract wild burrowing owls to nest on private property.
- Photograph wild burrowing owls by birding in habitats where they are known to occur.
- Foster stewardship and awareness by supporting burrowing owl conservation initiatives in your region.
These alternatives allow people to connect with burrowing owls in safe, responsible, and ethical ways that prevent disruption to wild populations or suffering in captivity. Enjoying them from a slight distance ultimately brings greater rewards than trying to tame them as pets in the home.
Conclusion
Burrowing owls may capture people’s interest with their endearing appearance and behaviors, but they are wild animals unsuited for life as pets. Their specialized needs would be extremely difficult to meet properly in household settings, often resulting in animal suffering. Removing them from native habitats for the pet trade also harms wild populations already under pressure in some areas. Fortunately, there are several excellent alternatives that allow enjoyment and appreciation of burrowing owls through observation in the wild, at facilities like zoos, or by supporting conservation efforts. These options provide rewarding connections without the ethical and practical challenges of trying to keep burrowing owls as pets.