Decline of burrowing owl in Imperial Valley prompts calls for inquiry
Monday, September 27, 2010 - 02:07
in Paleontology & Archaeology
Surveys show the owl's population has dropped from about 5,600 pairs in the early 1990s to 3,557 pairs in 2008. The agricultural area had been considered a stronghold for the species.An alarming decline in the number of burrowing owls in the Imperial Valley — a Southern California agricultural area that had been considered a stronghold for the species — has prompted calls for an immediate inquiry by state wildlife authorities.