Owls make campus their home

Owl+enjoying+its+day+on+the+schools+local+tree

Leslie Barba

Owl enjoying its day on the schools local tree

Robert Trejo, Reporter

Brazilian burrowing owls have been living on campus for six to seven years. Some come and others go but some stay.

“They have been here off and on for years. However the papa and mama owls have been here for the last two years,” science teacher Sherri Bryant said.

These burrowing owls are small and long-legged. They are found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts and other open dry areas.

“They chose our school because it’s near a desert area, and there is a good source of food,” science teacher Ysidro De La O said.

These owls have bright eyes; their beaks can be dark yellow or gray depending on the subspecies, they also have white eyebrows and a white chin depending on their behaviors.

“These owls are endangered and we have an opportunity to provide a safe area for them to live,” Bryant said.

Some students enjoy the owls.

“I really like owls and seeing these owls every time I go outside it makes me happy and makes my day a lot better. But how long are they staying and are they scared of us,” junior Alexa Flores said.

These owls are from Canada and are threatened in Mexico. They like to hunt at   night.

“I think the owls aren’t used to the sun because every time I try to get next to one it flys away. Or maybe the owls fly away because it’s scared and not used to humans,” junior Lizbeth Terrazas said.