Home
(Athene cunicularia)
The Burrowing Owl, also called "ground owl," is active both day and night, though its small size and earth-coloured plumage makes it difficult to spot. The Burrowing Owl is endangered and is protected from capture, harassment, trade and killing in all four western provinces. Visit Species at Risk.
Kitsim Project 
Dry conditions in southern Alberta are very common. Parched, windswept fields, dusty roads and scorching summer heat are part of life in the arid regions near Brooks, Alberta. The Kitsim Project grew out of a need to be able to hold water in the early spring for waterfowl and for grazing livestock.
Ducks Unlimited Canada and its partners developed a unique solution that provides water for waterfowl as well as crops and livestock watering solutions for the various grazing leases in this area. Since 1984, when the first wetland complex was completed at Kitsim, 25 km SW of Brooks, Alberta, DUC has worked with landowners in this area creating a project that today spans more than 40 sections of land with over 5,000 acres of wetlands and 16,000 acres of uplands. This project greatly benefits Northern Pintails, Burrowing Owls, and a multitude of other species.
In spring, water flows into the Kitsim Reservoir. Some of this water is pumped to the DUC Reservoir to the north and, from there, it is fed to 69 wetland basins that make up the Kitsim Wetland Complex. The water travels to the basins through canals and supply channels with water control structures that allow DUC to manage water levels and create optimum conditions for waterfowl nesting.
Cattle feeding on the lush grasses at the Kitsim Project.In summer, the water in the wetland basins disappears and grasses flourish in the nutrient rich uplands. Waterfowl have completed their nesting and moved on, and cattle are moved in to enjoy the grasslands. Grazing is managed through rotation to ensure the grasslands remain sustainable.
