After close to 50 years on California's Species of Special Concern list, the burrowing owl — a victim of urbanization and habitat destruction across the San Francisco Bay Area and parts of Mexico and Canada — has begun to make a spectacular comeback.
According to the San Mateo Daily Journal, these owls are the only species of their kind to construct nests on the ground, which means they have been disproportionately affected by human activity in the region.
"They're very unique, and they are dependent on other animals to dig the burrow," explained Edmund Sullivan of the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency, per the publication.
Fortunately, a partnership between the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority and the Peninsula Open Space Trust has worked to fortify prey squirrel populations in the area and to artificially fashion burrows into the land to support owl nesting.
Although burrowing owls are still on the decline as a species, conservation efforts like these have helped to revive numbers on a small scale.
Rising global temperatures and human development are among the leading causes of habitat loss worldwide — whether it's through the direct takeover of natural habitats for urban activities, or through the generation of heat-trapping carbon pollution that makes our planet warmer, drier, and overall less livable for many plant and animal species.
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Still, while local conservation efforts may not seem like much in the short term, they do make a difference. Especially when thoroughly researched and properly funded, like this latest burrowing owl venture, conservationists can tailor their measures to the species or group of species they're working to restore.
"These efforts show that when there's a regional collaborative effort between all levels of government, this is an example of government working — in this case to help a species," Sullivan told the San Mateo Daily Journal. "Without funding, the birds would have disappeared."
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