Urban Bird Foundation facts for kids
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| Founded | 2008 |
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| Founder | Scott Artis |
| Type | 501(c)(3) non-profit organization |
| Focus | Burrowing owl, native birds, habitat and wildlife conservation |
| Location | |
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Area served
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United States |
| Method | Conservation, ecosystem restoration, education, research, collaboration, outreach |
| Website | UrbanBird.org |
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Formerly called
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Burrowing Owl Conservation Network |
The Urban Bird Foundation is a special group in the United States. It's a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which means it's a charity that works for good causes and doesn't make money for owners. It was started in 2008 by Scott Artis.
This group's main goal is to "protect, defend, rescue, and save bird life." They focus on birds that live in or near cities and towns. The organization used to be called the Burrowing Owl Conservation Network. They changed their name in October 2013. Before that, they worked mainly to protect burrowing owls and their homes.
Today, the Urban Bird Foundation is very active in California. They work to protect burrowing owls and raise money for important activities. These activities include saving natural areas, teaching people about nature, studying birds of prey like hawks and owls, and speaking up for birds. They also help protect bird homes, fix natural areas, work with landowners and government groups, and even build special underground homes for owls.
The group first started as "Friends of East Bay Owls." Their first goal was to protect burrowing owls and their homes in the East Bay area of California. Over time, their work grew to cover all of California and even other parts of North America. Their main office is in American Canyon, California.
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Protecting Burrowing Owls
The Urban Bird Foundation works hard to protect burrowing owls. These small owls live in underground burrows, often made by other animals.
Working Together for Owls
When the group was called the Burrowing Owl Conservation Network, they led a big effort in 2011. They asked for a special plan to be made for burrowing owls across California. This plan was meant to help protect these owls.
This effort was a team project with another group called Defenders of Wildlife. Twenty-two other organizations from California also signed the request. These groups represented more than 209,000 people in California who cared about protecting wildlife.
Becoming an Independent Group
The Urban Bird Foundation joined with the Earth Island Institute on July 24, 2010. Earth Island Institute helped them by handling their money and giving them support for their local efforts. This continued until 2018.
In 2018, the Urban Bird Foundation became its own independent non-profit group in California. They also received their special 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service. This meant they could operate fully on their own as a charity.
Asking for Special Protection
On March 5, 2024, several groups worked together to ask for more protection for burrowing owls. These groups included the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Urban Bird Foundation, Burrowing Owl Preservation Society, Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, Central Valley Bird Club, and San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society.
They filed a request with the Fish and Game Commission. They asked for special protection for five different groups of western burrowing owls under the California Endangered Species Act. This act is a law that helps protect animals and plants that are in danger.
The request asked for burrowing owls in certain parts of California to be listed as endangered. This means they are at very high risk of disappearing forever. These areas include southwestern California, central-western California, and the San Francisco Bay Area. They also asked for owls in the Central Valley and southern desert areas to be listed as threatened. This means they are likely to become endangered soon if nothing changes.
