Let’s All Give A Hoot!
Hoot (2006)
Director: Wil Shriner
Starring: Logan Lerman, Jimmy Buffett, Luke Wilson, Cody Linley and Brie Larson
Hoot is a story based on a novel by Carl Hiaasen. It tells the story of Roy Eberhardt (Lerman), who moves from Montana to Florida. As a typical new kid, life is difficult, e.g., bullies, teachers, strange kids. Roy is just trying his best to fit in. Until, he meets a strange nature-boy and his sister and life takes a turn.
In Coconut Cove, Florida, a pancake company wants to open a restaurant. But to build, they must destroy a burrowing owl habitat. To stop this from happening, Roy and his friends must do anything to protect the burrowing owls, even going against adults who do not want to play by the rules. Can Roy and his friends save the burrowing owls, or will the pancake company get its way? Watch to find out!
But, first here is some information about these unique animals.
What are burrowing owls?
Burrowing owls are small, long-legged creatures and are located in North and South America. Burrowing owls have brown plumage with white spots, bright yellow eyes, and lack of ear tufts.
They are the only small owl species to nest on the ground and not in the trees. Burrowing owls live in burrows (holes) dug by other small animals or they dig holes with their beaks and feet. Once they have claimed a burrow, the owls keep it heavily protected.
FUN FACT: Burrowing Owls will place bottle caps, paper, and other trash around their burrows. Letting other owls know that the burrow is in use.
Burrowing owls are not endangered species (worldwide). However, certain countries and states do list them as threatened or endangered. The chart below displays the listed locations.
Good News! In 1918, burrowing owls were added to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act 1918, becoming a protected species.
| Endangered | Threatened |
|---|---|
| Canada | Mexico |
| Florida (US) | |
| Colorado (US) |
You can find the burrowing owls in treeless areas, e.g., agricultural fields, pastures, deserts, and urban vacant lots. Unfortunately, these areas are subject to several natural and anthropogenic acts.
A map of burrowing owls movement in North and South America
Purple = Year-Round habitat
Blue = Non-Breeding
Pink = Breeding
In the film Hoot, the burrowing owls live in Florida, a year-round habitat. During the winter, burrowing owls migrate to the southern states or countries. Map Image provided by: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Burrowing_Owl/maps-range
DID YOU KNOW? During the breeding season, burrowing owls are active during the day (diurnal) rather than night (nocturnal). When it is no longer breeding season, they are active at night.
Threats
They encounter several natural threats, e.g., heavy floods, predators, and wildfires. However, the most dangerous and common threat to burrowing owls is anthropogenic activities, e.g., the use of pesticides, prairie dog eradication programs, and increased agriculture/development sites (like in HOOT). The anthropogenic activities have led to a sharp population decline over the years.
Did You Know? Burrowing Owls can hiss to mimic rattlesnakes, scaring off predators trying to enter their burrows!
Pesticides
In agricultural fields, burrowing owls are exposed to heavy amounts of pesticides. Heavy pesticide chemicals in burrows can cause life-long damage or worse.
Prairie Dog Eradication Program
Prairie dogs are a big help for burrowing owls. Their burrows are a home for owls when the prairie dog has left. In some areas, prairie dogs are seen as pests, causing government, agricultural owners, and landowners to get rid of them. They can use traps, shooting, and poison bait to move them from the area. Lack of prairie dogs = Lack of safe burrows
Agriculture/Development Sites
As the days go by, the human population continues to increase, resulting in the NEED for more farmland and commercial/residential spaces. This issue is the main point of the film HOOT by Wil Shriner. Companies and the public want more space to live and new places to go, but that sometimes comes at a cost. In this instance, the cost is the destruction of the habitat, leaving the burrowing owl community to find other areas to live.
Image from an Air Force Base in New Mexico
“Burrowing Owls are still numerous, but populations have declined in Canada by nearly 3.5% per year, and in some states by over 4% per year between 1966 and 2019, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey.” As the threats continue to increase, finding ways to protect the burrowing owls is crucial. Today, they are classified (worldwide) as least concerned, but who knows what a year from now can lead to.
Here is what YOU can do!
- Dig burrows and install perches near your home. Doing so is an easy way to invite displaced burrowing owls to a new location.
- Get the community involved. Encourage your community to understand the importance of burrowing owls. Dig burrows or notify the government IF you notice disruption near burrows. Like in HOOT, hold a rally or picket signs.
- Attend city planning meetings about new construction. Alert the members that there is potential for burrowing owls in the location. Then, the government can get wildlife scientists out to survey the land.
- Stay knowledgeable! Staying up to date on information will help the protection of these beautiful creatures. Like an Owl, you gain wisdom.
Why Should You Watch HOOT?
It is a great family film. HOOT offers respect for wildlife and the conservation/protection of nature. It teaches that anyone can make a difference in their community, just by trying.
*Trigger Warning* Film Contains Bullying
Vocabulary Builder
- Plumage – are all the feathers that form the color and pattern on a bird
- Endangered – a species threatened with extinction
- Anthropogenic – is a man-made disaster, i.e., the influence of humans on nature
- Diurnal – active during the day
- Nocturnal – active during the night
- Pesticides – chemicals used to get rid of pest, e.g., mice, insects, squirrels
Source: Burrowing Owl Life History, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology