Burrowing Owl

Burrowing Owl
Burrowing Owls are the only North American owls that normally nest under ground. In Florida, they excavate their own burrows, but in other regions they use burrows dug by other animals, such as prairie dogs, marmots, ground squirrels, skunks, kangaroo rats, armadillos, and tortoises. The burrows provide shelter from extreme temperatures, and protection from predators such as hawks. However, burrows may be accessible to other nest predators, particularly badgers, weasels, skunks, and domestic cats and dogs. Burrowing Owls sometimes line the burrow with cow or horse dung, perhaps to hide their scent from mammalian predators. When disturbed at the nest, young Burrowing Owls imitate the sounds of a rattlesnake's rattle, a sound that is thought to deter potential predators. Burrowing Owls can tolerate higher levels of carbon dioxide than other birds, possibly an adaptation to breathing in a confined space.

Inhabitants of grasslands, deserts, and other dry, open habitats, Burrowing Owls are found in western North America and parts of Central and South America including the Caribbean. Near human habitation, they can be found in cemeteries, golf courses, roadsides, vacant lots, and airports. Northern populations in the Great Plains and Great Basin tend to migrate south in winter, but in some regions such as southern California and Florida, Burrowing Owls are resident year-round.
Burrowing Owl Range Map

Burrowing Owls are semi-colonial, nesting as close as 14 meters apart at a site in Texas. They prefer areas where many burrows are available, such as in abandoned prairie dog colonies. At the start of the breeding season, the male occupies a chosen burrow and defends a small area around it. Both he and the female may modify the burrow as necessary by digging into the dirt with their beaks and feet. The female lays from 1 to 11 eggs, usually 7 to 9. She alone incubates the eggs and broods the young. The male hunts for the nestlings, and delivers food to the burrow entrance each morning and evening. The female picks up the prey and feeds the young. The female also hunts for the young as they grow older.

Burrowing Owls are opportunistic predators, eating what is seasonally and locally available, primarily arthropods, but also small mammals and birds. The nestlings begin to explore about two weeks after hatching, emerging to the mouth of the burrow. They practice hunting by pouncing on dead or injured insects brought by their parents. They begin to fly around four weeks of age, but remain near the burrow for another two weeks.

The Burrowing Owl is listed as endangered in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan in Canada, and Minnesota in the United States. Population declines have been attributed to habitat destruction, exposure to pesticides, mortality from collisions with vehicles when the owls hunt on roadways, and predation from both natural predators and domestic cats and dogs. Conservation measures include providing artificial burrows, relocating populations in habitat slated for development, and reintroducing them to areas where Burrowing Owl populations have declined. In British Columbia, reintroduced Burrowing Owls produced 92 fledglings between 1986 and 1993.

Description:
Burrowing Owls are relatively small owls, about 9.5 inches tall. They are the only owls of this size that are likely to be seen perched in the open during daylight. They have long legs compared to other owls, and short tails. Adult Burrowing Owls have brown back and wings with white spots. The breast is white to buffy with brown barring on both sides. There is some white streaking on the head. Chin, throat, and throat are white, "eyebrows" are pale. The plumage of adult males and females is similar, but females are usually darker overall. The male uses a high "coo-cooo" call; female responds with "eep" or rasping "ksshh." Barking "chuk" notes often ending with a rasping scream can be heard any time of year.

Burrowing Owls can mimic the sound of rattlesnakes. Perhaps for this reason, early European settlers believed (falsely) that the owls shared their burrows with rattlers.

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