Large clutch size of a Burrowing Owl, Athene cunicularia, found in Saskatchewan

Abstract

During the summer of 1999, we observed a pair of Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia) lay 14 eggs in a nest near Wilcox, Saskatchewan. This represents the largest clutch size ever recorded for this species. Burrowing Owls typically lay between six and 11 eggs, and prior to our discovery the largest clutch size ever recorded was 12 eggs. Although all 14 eggs hatched, the brood was substantially reduced by cannibalism within two weeks, and in the end only 8 of the 14 chicks fledged. Marked hatching asynchrony, typical in this species, was not observed at this nest.