This is bird note.

On a cold crisp January morning,

a beautiful golden brown bird of prey sits atop a fence post.

Suddenly, the bird takes flight on long rounded wings, flapping with deep slow wingbeats.

It appears almost to float above the ground like an enormous moth.

It's a short-eared owl, an owl especially adapted to hunt during the day. Short-eared owls are found on grasslands and

tundra and along coastlines. They have an extensive world range including

north and south America as well as Europe and Asia.

Yet despite the widespread range, this unconventional owl is declining.

In North America, grassland habitats are dwindling due to development, agriculture, and overgrazing. American Bird Conservancy and partners in flight consider the Short-eared Owl at risk.

So, what to do?

Well, restoring habitat offers hope. Programs such as the Federal Conservation

and Wetland Reserve Programs are showing promise for short-eared owls.

Bird Notes celebrates the work of our conservation partners

and the everyday actions of our listeners

to reverse the alarming decline in North American birds.

Together we can bring them back.

Learn more and get involved at birdnote.org.

I'm Michael Stein.