Nineteen threatened burrowing owls relocated to the Sun Streams solar complex near Tonopah, Arizona, in March 2025 have not only survived but bred successfully, with monitoring in July 2026 finding roughly 40 owls now living on the site, according to Audubon.
The relocation was carried out jointly by renewable energy company Longroad Energy and the conservation group Wild At Heart, which built dedicated burrows among the solar panels to test whether the small raptors could adapt to and reproduce within a large-scale energy facility. The early results, reported by Cronkite News, point to success.
How the owls were relocated
A specialized operation rescued nine breeding pairs and one solitary male whose original colony, located 80 kilometers from the Sun Streams project, faced destruction from urban development. Wild At Heart stepped in to secure the group's survival as construction advanced on their habitat.
The burrowing owl, known scientifically as Athene cunicularia, has seen its population in the United States fall by more than a third since 1960, making habitat loss from real estate expansion a critical threat to the species.
Building homes among solar panels
Longroad Energy prepared 101 hectares of land between the Sun Streams 2 and 3 plants and installed 40 underground concrete structures for the owls to nest in. During the initial phase, specialists fitted protective mesh over the entrances to stop the birds from rushing back to their old nests.
The technical team also set up motion-sensor cameras, lighting to attract insects, and a daily food supply to help the owls settle into their new surroundings.
Signs of successful breeding
Corporate funding supported technical assistance throughout the entire breeding season, extending well beyond the usual one-month window. Greg Clark, habitat coordinator at Wild At Heart, said the main uncertainty had been whether the birds would nest among the solar panels at all. When eggs turned up in each shelter, he said it showed the effort was working.
At the end of June 2025, 36 chicks were born, and 29 of them developed enough plumage to fly and leave the nests three months later. The conservation team gradually reduced the supplemental food after finding insect remains in the owls' droppings, evidence that the birds were hunting on their own. That food support ended completely by the close of August.
A thriving population one year later
Monitoring carried out in July 2026 confirmed close to 40 owls living across the complex. Biologists have continuously tracked 30 artificial burrows to assess the group's survival and reproduction, with Clark inspecting the structures alongside video records. At the nearby Mesquite Wildlife Oasis, the team also cultivated vegetation using drip irrigation to attract prey for the owls.
The cleared terrain around the solar arrays has let the owls spot coyotes from a distance, hunt for prey beneath the installations, and find shelter from high desert temperatures.
Despite the early success, experts caution that the project's long-term viability still needs to be evaluated over time. Clark said development and wildlife conservation can coexist, adding that planning for environmental protection from the outset creates spaces where wildlife still has a chance.
