Florida: Mission Everglades - Burrowing Owl, Common Grackle, and Gopher Tortoise Exhibit

During my visit a few weeks ago, there were a pair of gray foxes in this exhibit. The burrowing owl was in the aviary at the beginning of the exhibit complex.

That is good to hear that they are using the flexibility of several of the exhibits!

Burrowing Owl and Common Grackle!? I know Burrowing Owls don't usually hunt birds, but this still seems like an accident waiting to happen. Better safe than sorry!

Grackle is probably big and brash enough to not be an issue. Burrowing Owls are lighter and lankier than say a similarly-sized screech-owl, and per my experience their little talons don't do much damage. Especially since their claws tend to be duller than many raptors due to their walking and digging habits. They often seem to be far more fond of insects than anything else anyway.

The NC zoo had burrowing owl mixed with roadrunner, quail and a jay species for years in the desert exhibit. Nothing bad seemed to happen over that time.