A conservation group says owls on Colorado’s Front Range need a hand – and they’re enlisting homeowners to help

Owls are symbols of wisdom, and heroes of literature – from Greek mythology to Harry Potter.

But a leading conservation agency says owls are in trouble along Colorado’s Front Range. They’re losing critical habitat as cities and suburban areas expand.

The Bird Conservancy of the Rockies is about to launch what it calls the Urban Owl Nest Box program. It’s an unusual project that asks Front Range residents to create nesting spaces for eastern screech owls in their backyards.

Marion Clément is a senior avian ecologist with the Bird Conservancy. She spoke with Erin O'Toole about why owls are so important to our ecosystem, and why the organization says it’s prioritizing these nocturnal birds with the new program.

1 of 3  — Nest Box - Urban Owls.JPEG

A nest box for Eastern Screech owls

Courtesy Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

2 of 3  — IMG_9446.jpg

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

3 of 3  — Northern Saw-whet owl IMG_9443.jpg

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies