From KCCI News

DES MOINES, Iowa — Six endangered Barn owlets, also known as ghost owls, were recently discovered in nesting boxes in Madison County.

“Primarily habitat loss and loss of nesting sites — they have become endangered,” said Tanner Donovan, a natural resource specialist for Madison County who installed the nesting boxes two years ago after receiving a grant.

“So to have these birds on our property that we are managing and to be able to have them breed and reproduce offspring on our properties that we manage is really exciting,” he said.

The owlets, which are white and do not hoot but instead hiss or shriek to communicate, were found in two wildlife locations managed by Madison County Conservation.

These birds prefer to roost in old tree cavities, but much of their habitat in Iowa has been cut down to make land available for farming.

Donovan expressed his excitement at seeing the owlets show up this summer and encouraged anyone interested to install a box on their property to help support these endangered owls.