BirdAnalyst
Species · BCR 17 · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Burrowing Owl In Badlands and Prairies

All regionsBadlands and PrairiesGeneralists

Burrowing Owl in Badlands and Prairies has risen sharply: up 59% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

+59%Since 1969
77Routes In Region
57Years

Notable Signals

long arc increasecomputed index

Burrowing Owl has risen sharply in Badlands and Prairies: up 59% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Burrowing Owl in Badlands and Prairies is projected to fall about 16% by 2029 — from 0.47 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.40 (95% range 0.02–0.78). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±50.5%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

-16%Change by 2029
0.40Projected 2029 index
0.02–0.7895% range
±50.5%Backtest error
19672029
Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.
YearProjected index95% low95% high
20250.390.010.77
20260.390.010.77
20270.390.010.77
20280.400.020.78
20290.400.020.78

Routes In Badlands and Prairies

Routes recording Burrowing Owl in Badlands and Prairies.
MaurineSOUTH-DAKOTA62024
Pine TreeWYOMING61981
PromiseSOUTH-DAKOTA52014
PioneerSOUTH-DAKOTA42024
ShawmutMONTANA32023
WebsterMONTANA31980
LarkNORTH-DAKOTA31980
Ft ThompsonSOUTH-DAKOTA32007
BadlandsSOUTH-DAKOTA32023
LacreekSOUTH-DAKOTA32023
S. PioneerSOUTH-DAKOTA32024
Wind Cave NpSOUTH-DAKOTA32024
Flatwillow 2MONTANA22022
SolenNORTH-DAKOTA22024
ChamberlainSOUTH-DAKOTA21978
VolunteerSOUTH-DAKOTA22013
OttumwaSOUTH-DAKOTA22018
RevaSOUTH-DAKOTA22024
HayesSOUTH-DAKOTA22023
CottonwoodSOUTH-DAKOTA22024
Railroad ButteSOUTH-DAKOTA22022
SussexWYOMING22024
NewcastleWYOMING22024
ShawneeWYOMING22022
KayceeWYOMING22024

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22.