Conservation and recovery of species is a priority of many land management and conservation groups. These efforts sometimes begin as a grassroots movement led by local and community groups in coordination with AZGFD. However, sometimes these efforts require a much larger stakeholder group. The saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ is an accurate analogy for the implementation of recovery and conservation goals, especially when it comes to imperiled wildlife species.
In recent years, AZGFD has been leading a collaborative effort to reintroduce captive-bred Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls to Southern Arizona. This project would help reestablish populations in areas where the species had been extirpated (locally extinct) or occured in very low numbers. In 2006, AZGFD biologists captured 10 Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls from Southern Arizona. These individuals would help kickstart a captive breeding program, an endeavor which had never been done before. These initial efforts were guided by the expertise of raptor rehabilitators at Wild at Heart, Inc., a non-profit located in the Phoenix area.
Breeding trials began in 2007, with little success, as no viable eggs were produced. In response, AZGFD and USFWS worked together to identify the critical elements that might dictate the success or failure of breeding Pygmy-Owls in captivity. The team identified limiting factors, including issues related to pair bonding and feeding cycles, as well as nest substrate and microclimate of nest box design. These efforts paid off. Year after year, hatch success gradually improved and by 2013, 100% of eggs hatched successfully.
With the success of the captive breeding program, it was soon time to release birds into the wild. The USFWS solicited partnerships with external organizations that were focused on this species conservation in southern Arizona, including Pima County. In 2016, 16 owls were released onto County properties. The reintroduction partnerships soon expanded to include other stakeholders such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), United State Geological Services (USGS), and Phoenix Zoo.
With the lessons learned at Wild at Heart, the Phoenix Zoo became an important partner in the Pygmy-Owl reintroduction effort as a secondary breeding facility. Meanwhile, the BLM provided the landscape scale locations for release sites and the USGS provided technical expertise and labor needed for tracking and feeding owls.
During the coming years, AZGFD and our partners at USFWS, BLM, Wild at Heart, Phoenix Zoo, Pima County, and USGS will continue our successful collaboration to identify potential release sites. These efforts will include the evaluation of areas for prey base and habitat structure to ensure that potential future releases lead to the recovery of this unique Arizona species.
By the Numbers:
In 2006, AZGFD captured 10 Pygmy-Owls (six male and six female) to found a captive breeding program.
Between 2007 and 2013, hatch success rose from 20% to 100% of eggs laid.
Since the project began in 2007, approximately 50 Pygmy-Owls have been hatched and raised in captivity. These owls have since become breeding stock as the original captive breeding stock aged out of the program or perished.
Sixteen captive-bred Pygmy-Owls were released in 2016. Individuals were tracked using transmitters and re-located in the area of release the following year.
By 2020, approximately 23 individuals have been released into the wild in Southern Arizona.