August is here and burrowing owls are entering into an important part of their lifecycle.

The early part of this month marks the time young burrowing owls leave the nest and learn to venture out on their own.

"The youngsters are starting to learn some of the valuable life skills that will hopefully see them into adulthood. So, they are learning how to hunt for themselves and to do the day-to-day things that come along with that, keeping an eye out for prey items as well as keeping an eye out for predators," said Lori Johnson, owl coordinator at the Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre.

Burrowing Owls are still considered an endangered species in Canada and this time of year can also be extremely dangerous for young owls.

"They can often put themselves into circumstances where the danger is a little bit higher just because they are in closer proximity to vehicles, roadsides, human activities as well as other animals that may be out and about," Johnson said.

Nature Saskatchewan is recommending motorists slow down and keep an eye open for owls near the road.

Burrowing owls are about nine inches tall, with spotted brown and white feathers, bushy white "eyebrows" and long featherless legs. They nest in abandoned burrows made by badgers, gophers, and other burrowing animals.

Johnson recommended that if you see a burrowing owl to admire it from a distance so you don't disturb them and, if the bird is in distress, call a conservation officer.