Burrowing owls have declined across North America as the open grassland and burrowing mammal habitat they depend on has been developed, plowed, and fumigated in agricultural intensification.
Burrowing owl welfare illustrates the cascade of ecological dependencies: owls need burrows, burrows require digging mammals, digging mammals need prairie grassland, prairie grassland is being converted to agriculture. Each step in this cascade must be protected for owl welfare to be maintained. Prairie dog poisoning programs that eliminate burrow creators remove burrowing owl habitat wholesale. The welfare of individual owls depends on burrow availability - homeless owls face exposure and predation. Artificial burrow programs provide direct welfare benefit to displaced owls while habitat restoration addresses the systemic cause.