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Owl ambassadors at Blandford Nature Center

Posted at 11:53 AM, Feb 28, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-28 11:53:40-05

The Michigan Wildlife Council is currently conducting a campaign to help Michiganders learn more about wildlife, protect, and conserve it for future generations to enjoy.

The Blandford Nature Center is part of this campaign by educating the community about the wildlife living in the state's forest. They encourage the community to come out to their 140-acre facility to explore and discover Michigan's animals, plants, and more.

Kristin Tindall, a master naturalist and educator at the Blandford Nature Center, says that one of the ways they educate the community on Michigan's environment is through their animal ambassadors.

Long Eared Owl

Burt is a Long Eared Owl and one of the Blandford Nature Center's permanent residents.

Burt was hit by a car in Grant, causing damage to his wings. When birds of prey suffer from a wing injury or broken bone, it's very hard for the wing to heal completely so they can hunt for food. So while Blandford Nature Center hoped that Burt could be released back into the wild, he became a permanent resident in 2008.

Long Eared Owls are mostly seen during the winter, and congregate in larger groups so they can hunt for small mammals in open areas.

However, the population of owls is declining due to habitat laws. The open meadows that they hunt in are subject to development, but by protecting them there will be a higher quality of roosting and feeding areas for the owls.

Short Eared Owl

Xena, a Short Eared Owl at Blandford Nature Center,  is also one of the facility's owl ambassadors. Like Burt, she was hit by a car, however her wing had to be partially amputated.

Xena is very similar to Burt, except that the tuffs on the top of her head are smaller.

While Long-Eared Owls like to live in more open areas, the Short Ear Owl is going to use more of the forested areas to roost and hunt in. They also like being near wet lands, which is unique to the Short Eared Owl.

If you spot an owl that might be a short eared owl where you live, report it to the Natural Michigan Features Inventory or call your local DNR. This is so environmental groups know where there are resident populations to make sure they're protected.

The Blandford Nature Center is located at 1715 Hillburn Avenue Northwest.

To learn more about the great work the Michigan Wildlife Council has highlighted, visit HereForMIOutdoors.org.