Public Comment

Berkeley’s Last Burrowing Owl Urgently Needs Protection with a Functional Fence

Isabelle Gaston
Monday February 06, 2023 - 04:54:00 PM

Only a few weeks are left to see Berkeley’s beloved burrowing owl before it departs from its winter home at the water’s edge of Cesar Chavez Park. Whether this rare and beautiful creature will return next fall, is anyone’s guess. Much is riding on securing a functional fence for its refuge. 

If you visit the Burrowing Owl Sanctuary in the park, you will immediately notice that the owl is not protected from off-leash dogs. The only thing separating the owl from roaming dogs is a low decorative Art Deco “fence” which was installed in 2010 as a Civic Arts project by Reed Madden Designs, and which dogs, if not leashed by their owners, can effortlessly jump over or ignore

Unfortunately, despite repeated efforts by the Chavez Park Conservancy and many concerned residents, neither the “fence” artists, the Civic Arts Commission, nor the Parks Department see a need to build a dog-proof fence. And sadly, even the Audubon Society which I have been a member of for over 40 years, does not support the building of a secure fence, probably out of fear of alienating some dog owners. (Disclosure: I’m both an owl and dog lover.) 

There have been at least two known incidents of owls being killed in recent years, consistent with dog attacks. The first was in 2016 when a dead owl’s carcass with puncture wounds was found, and the second was last year when an owl’s left wing was damaged, and it was seen dragging it on the ground. The bird disappeared the next day and undoubtedly died. Other reports of dogs digging up burrows, as well as causing anxiety and stress in the owl (based on frequency of head rotation) have been documented. 

Last week, I contacted the Parks Department to inquire about the status of the fence since I’d seen a line item for an Owl Fence Project in the FY2023 Annual Appropriations Ordinance. I thought perhaps a new fence might be in the pipeline to finally protect the owl; however, this was not the case.  

Christina Erickson, Deputy Director, emailed me back saying that there had been an extensive community public process in 2010 (when there were still at least ten to twelve owls in the park), and that there were no plans to “modify the fence from its original design.” Alas, the $16,000 which I had seen in the budget document was for maintenance and repair to the existing decorative fence and was paid to Reed Madden Designs.  

I’ve since learned that providing an actual sanctuary for the owl would be as simple as installing a four-foot-high green plastic fence, something the Parks Department has in its inventory. I don’t understand why, given the extensive documentation of dogs disturbing the owl’s habitat, that the city wouldn’t do all it could to protect this last remaining owl on Berkeley’s soil.  

I encourage everyone to try and see the burrowing owl this month before it migrates, for there is no guarantee we’ll see it or any other owl in years to come because of its dwindling population. This tiny endearing bird (the size of a beer can) with so much personality is fascinating to watch. 

Additional information as to the owl’s location in the park can be found on the Chavez Park Conservancy website. And if you’re an early riser, owl docents (Mary Law and Martin Nicolaus) are often there in the mornings before 10 to help you locate the owl (which is not always easy given its small size and camouflage) and learn more about this vulnerable and precious bird.  

However, if you can’t make it to the park, there are many delightful short videos of the burrowing owl that appear every day at 5 PM on the website. Here is one video of the owl with its furry vegetarian friends and another from last Sunday when the owl seemed unfazed by the cold rain.