Urban Bird Foundation is a United States-based, 501(c)(3)

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

founded in 2008 by Scott Artis with a mission to "protect, defend, rescue and conserve bird life" in and adjacent to urban and suburban areas. Formerly named the Burrowing Owl Conservation Network, having changed its name in October 2013, it was dedicated to "the protection and restoration of

burrowing owl The burrowing owl (''Athene cunicularia''), also called the shoco, is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or an ...

s and promoting the preservation and careful management of habitat to prevent loss, foster healthy populations, and maintain intact natural communities for an ecologically sound future." The organization is active in California political intervention aimed at burrowing owl protection, and fundraising used for

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

and outreach,

raptor Raptor or RAPTOR may refer to: Animals The word "raptor" refers to several groups of bird-like dinosaurs which primarily capture and subdue/kill prey with their talons. * Raptor (bird) or bird of prey, a bird that primarily hunts and feeds on ...

research Research is " creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness ...

, and advocacy. The organization's efforts include

habitat protection Habitat conservation is a management practice that seeks to conserve, protect and restore habitats and prevent species extinction, fragmentation or reduction in range. It is a priority of many groups that cannot be easily characterized in term ...

, ecosystem restoration, collaborations with private lands owners,

government agencies A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administratio ...

and

s, and installation of artificial burrows. The organization was originally named " Friends of East Bay Owls" and its mission was focused on protecting burrowing owls and

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

East Bay The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties ...

. The organization's mission and work has expanded throughout California and North America. The organization is headquartered in

American Canyon, California American Canyon (previously known as Napa Junction) is a city located in southern Napa County, California, northeast of San Francisco, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. The 2020 census reported the city's population as 21,837. Its ZIP Code i ...

Conservation Strategy Petition

While operating as Burrowing Owl Conservation Network, the organization spearheaded a 2011 statewide

petition A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer called supplication. In the colloquial sense, a petition is a document addressed to some offi ...

for the "immediate development, release for

public comment In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

and implementation of a Comprehensive Conservation Strategy for Burrowing Owls." This petition was a joint project with

Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife is a 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation organization based in the United States. It works to protect all native animals and plants throughout North America in their natural communities. Background Defenders of Wildlife is a n ...

and was signed by 22 other

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

organizations representing more than 209,000 Californians.

Earth Island Institute

Urban Bird Foundation was adopted by Earth Island Institute on July 24, 2010 as Burrowing Owl Conservation Network. Earth Island Institute provided the organization with fiscal sponsorship and administrative support for their grassroots efforts until 2018 when Urban Bird Foundation incorporated in California as an independent nonprofit public benefit corporation and received 501(c)(3) tax exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service.

California Endangered Species Act Listing Petition

On March 5, 2024,

Center for Biological Diversity The Center for Biological Diversity is a nonprofit membership organization known for its work protecting endangered species through legal action, scientific petitions, creative media and grassroots activism. It was founded in 1989 by Kieran Suckl ...

, Urban Bird Foundation, Burrowing Owl Preservation Society, Santa Clara Valley

Audubon Society The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such orga ...

, Central Valley Bird Club and San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society filed a

California Endangered Species Act In 1970 California became one of the first states in the U.S. to implement an act that conserves and protects endangered species and their environments. The California Endangered Species Act (CESA) declares that "all native species of fishes, amph ...

listing petition with the Fish and Game Commission requesting protections for five populations of the western burrowing owl. The filed petition seeks endangered status for burrowing owls in southwestern California, central-western California and the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...

, and threatened status for burrowing owls in the Central Valley and southern desert range.

References

External links

UrbanBird.org

BurrowingOwlConservation.org
{{conservation of species Environmental organizations based in California Ornithological organizations in the United States Environmental organizations established in 2008 2008 establishments in California