Endangered Short-Eared Owl Discovered on Reclaimed Pa. Coal Mine

The short-eared owl (Asio flameus), as a nesting bird, is listed as a Pennsylvania Endangered species. Although it regularly migrates through Penn Woods, this day-flying, ground nesting, crow-sized owl was always a rare nester in the state because it inhabits open spaces, such as large marshes, tundra and prairies. The handful of nesting locations in Pennsylvania was in further decline due to human conversion of their habitats, until more recently. During the last few decades biologists have found that the short-eared owl is occasionally attracted to large surface coal mines after the sites are refilled and planted in grasses. To some degree, these areas then mimic prairies, and the small mammals eaten by this owl find suitable habitat here, too.

Rob Criswell is a biologist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and an associate of the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program. He has assisted Western Pennsylvania Conservancy's efforts in that program to inventory plants and animals for more than a decade. Last year, Rob discovered nesting habitat for the short-eared owl and on August 6th, 2003, he and WPC ecologist Rita Hawrot revisited the site and documented the nesting of this endangered owl on a large reclaimed coal mine in Cambria County. Rita is a key staff member in WPC's County Inventory projects, which are conducted to assist county governments and citizens in applying a conservation information in their planning efforts. She is researching the most important ecological sites in select southwestern Pennsylvania counties and with the find of the nesting short-eared owl, another site will be added to the upcoming report.

Another rare raptor, a hawk known as the northern harrier (Circus cyaneus) is also nesting here, which increases the conservation importance of the site.

Today's photo by Rob Criswell, taken just a few days ago, is of one of the young short-eared owls as it is about to leave it's nest for the first time.

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