Artificial Burrowing Owl Nestboxes - Construction and Installation
Burrowing owls are fascinating birds that live underground, and, unlike many owls,
are active during the day as well as the night.
Populations of these owls have declined due to habitat loss
and providing artificial nest boxes is one way to help this species.
To construct an artificial burrowing owl nest box,
you will need a reciprocating saw or jigsaw, sealant,
and a drill with a four-and-a-half-inch arbor hole saw attachment.
To create the entrance burrows,
you will need two four-foot sections and two five-foot sections
of four-inch schedule 40 PVC pipe,
along with two ninety degree elbows of the same material.
The nest chamber can be constructed from a large irrigation box
or by cutting a thirty to fifty-gallon plastic drum in half.
Either will work, but the drum option is preferred
and will be what's demonstrated in this video.
As a result, you will also need two five-gallon buckets
and a sheet of stiff plastic to create the access port.
Construction
One barrel will make two nests chambers
but this video will only cover the making of one.
To accommodate the PVC pipe, cut a four-and-a-half-inch hole on each side of the barrel,
two inches above the cut edge of the barrel.
Then very carefully saw the barrel in half.
Trace the bottom of a five-gallon bucket on to the top of the barrel
and cut it out such that the bottom three inches of the bucket will fit snugly into the hole.
Cut a hole in the bottom of the bucket for access to the nest box
and check that the bucket fits into the barrel.
Cut an appropriately sized circle from the plastic sheet
and insert it into the bucket to cover the hole between the bucket and the nest box.
Keep in mind that burrowing owls are legally protected.
Only after all owls have vacated the site may this entrance be
used to access the nest box for maintenance.
Nestbox Site Selection
Choose a site where burrowing owls have been observed.
This will greatly increase the chances that they will find your nest box.
Burrowing owls prefer nest sites in open areas with sparse vegetation and well-drained soil.
It's preferable to place the site on an existing mound.
This allows the PVC pipe to be angled down slightly by five or ten degrees to keep the burrow from flooding.
Lay the nest box and the PVC pipe out at the chosen site
and mark the outlines of the nest box and burrows.
Excavate the nesting chamber such that the top of the barrel sits 18 to 24 inches below ground level,
then excavate the entrance burrows.
Lay out the nest box and the PVC pipe in the tunnels to
ensure a proper fit and glue the PVC pipes and elbows together.
Place the ends of the PVC pipe in cinder blocks.
Barbed wire may be wrapped around the PVC pipe to discourage predators from digging.
Seal all seams with sealant to ensure soil and water cannot penetrate the structure.
To keep the nesting chamber cool,
fill the remaining five-gallon bucket with soil, secure the lid,
and insert it into the bucket affixed to the nesting chamber.
Bury the site.
Be sure to compact the soil as you go to help prevent erosion.
Burrowing owls like a clear line of sight, so remove any undesirable vegetation that would obstruct their view.
Place large rocks and gravel around the cinder blocks to stabilize the PVC pipe and prevent erosion.
Install a perch over the site to provide for the owls roosting, hunting, and predator detection needs.
Burrowing owls need our help.
By providing artificial nesting sites, you can help this fascinating species.
For more information, contact your local Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist.
You can find a biologist by entering the search terms on your screen into the search engine of your choice.
You can also help wildlife by purchasing a conservation license plate.
For every plate sold, twenty-two dollars goes to wildlife conservation.